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A 


NEW DICTIONARY 


FOR 

THE FASHIONABLE WORLD: 


Cranslatcti from 


WITH 





SELECTIONS AND ADDITIONS. 


“ Multa renascentur, quae jam cecidere; cadentque 
Quae nunc sunt in honore vocabula, si volet usus, 

Quem penes arbitrium est, et jus, et norma loquendi.” 

HORACE. 


LONDON: 

PRINTED FOR THE AUTHOR, 

AND SOLD BY 

LONGMAN, HURST, REES, ORME, AND BROWN, PATER¬ 
NOSTER-ROW} RODWELL AND MARTIN, NEW BOND 

street; bowdery and kerby, oxford street; 

AND JOHN UPHAM, BATH. 


1820 












Miller, Printer, Noble Street, Cheap tide. 



PREFACE. 


U°- 

S,0 


When a little French work, entitled, “ Dic- 
tionnaire des Gens du Monde, Paris, 1818,” 
was put into my hand some months ago, it 
immediately occurred to me that although 
there were many French books in the same 
style, such as “ Le Porte-feuille du R. F. 
Gillet, Petit Dictionnaire,” “ Dictionnaire 
Neologique,” &c. &c. &c. I had never met 
with one of the sort in the English language: 
then followed the idea that much of this new 
“ Dictionnaire des Gens du Monde ” would 
bear translation, which, with the arrangement 
of some apt quotations and selections, might 
enable me to send into the world a little 
book! a little cheap book! and though well 
aware how much better a chance of sale a 
large , dear book has, in these luxurious days, 
(when all are so rich) yet I flatter myself 
its value will be enhanced when I make 




IV 


known to the world that there never will be a 
second edition ; and that I am more in earnest 
than some of the fashionable authors of the 
day, who have so cruelly alarmed us with the 
threat of taking leave of the public for ever! 

If any one who takes up this little book 
should hit upon the illustration of a word 
which may lead him to imagine that I think 
the world worse than it ever was before, he is 
mistaken. 

“ Democritus did well to laugh of old. 

Good cause he had, but now much more. 

This life of out's, is more ridiculous 
Than that of his, or long before.” 

“ Never so much cause of laughter as now 
Never so many fools, and madmen.” 

Thus wrote one of our old authors in 1628, 
and so posterity will continue to write to the 
last, when speaking of their own times: but 
let me not forget an old saying, that “ a long 
preface to a short hook,, is like a large porch to 
a small house; and having too high a respect 
and veneration for old books, old sayings, old 
fashions, and old friends, to disregard any of 
them, I hasten to conclude. 


1819 . 


A 


NEW 

DICTIONARY 

FOR 

THE FASHIONABLE WORLD. 


A. 

A. B. C.—The ne plus ultra of knowledge 
with a great many, who, nevertheless, hold 
forth with all possible assurance. Philoso¬ 
phers explain this by saying, that an animal 
swims more boldly than a man. 

ABDICATION.—A virtue of necessity. 
The act of a sovereign, to which he submits 
with as good a grace, as a man delivers his 
purse to the assassin who demands it with a 
pistol at his breast. 


£ 




2 


DICTIONARY FOR 


ABILITY.—Those who possess the most, 
frequently make the least use of it. 

ABRIDGMENT.—A most excellent me¬ 
thod of disfiguring the productions of an au¬ 
thor ; we may say to many abbreviators, 

“ In wit as nature, what affects our hearts, 

Is not the exactness of peculiar parts ; 

’Tis not a lip or eye we beauty call. 

But the joint force and full result of all.” 

Pope. 

ABSENCE.—Time moves with leaden 
wings in the absence of those we love; 

" And every little absence is an age. 

The tedious hours move heavily away, 

And each long minute seems a lazy day.” 


ABSENCE (of mind ).—It is a great ad¬ 
vantage to be able so completely to abstract 
the mind from what is passing, as to feel oc¬ 
cupied on the most entertaining subjects, and 
alone , when in company with a prosing, dull 
companion. Some trifling accidents may 
arise from this abstraction, such as walking 
into a pool of water, over a precipice, &c ; 


THE FASHIONABLE WORLD. 3 

but these are more than compensated by the 
pleasure those experience who have the faculty 
of travelling from Pole to Pole, without stir¬ 
ring from their own fire-side. 

ABSOLUTE.—A character all men dis¬ 
like in their king; but one that many are too 
prone to cherish in their own castles. 

ABSOLUTION.—A term for the remis¬ 
sion of sins committed against God and man. 
A most convenient, happy method of making 
black appear white. 

ABSURD.—-It is a great consolation to 
the foolish, that the wisest often do an absurd 
thing. 

ABUSE.—A word of attack against a man 
in place ; a word too often abused in its appli¬ 
cation. To put an end to abuses —to remedy 
abuses —in the mouths of many, means, your 
place suits me,—or, give me a place! 

ACCESSIBLE.—A rare quality in a mi¬ 
nister. 


4 


DICTIONARY FOR 


ACCIDENTAL.—Every misfortune that 
befalls us we call accidental, when at least 
two-thirds of them originate in ourselves. 

ACCLAMATION.—A loud expression 
of approbation, not to be depended upon ; as 
from the multitude, who to day deafen you 
with applause and acclamation, you will to¬ 
morrow only hear an angry buzz. It is indeed 
an equivocal sign of approbation, as the great¬ 
est noise very frequently arises from the weak¬ 
est side. 

ACCOMMODATING.—To be accom¬ 
modating. To see every thing right that is 
wrong; to swear a thing is black if your friend 
says it, though you know it to be white . To 
be deaf and blind when necessary. 

To ACCOMPLISH.—An end rarely at- 
tained. Fifty things are begun, and perhaps 
two accomplished. 

“ Aut nunquam tentes aut perfice.” 

ACCURACY.—Not to be looked for in 
the great world in any point of view. 


THE FASHIONABLE WORLD. 


5 


ACID.—The world has always given a 
large share of this bilious substance to those 
respectable parts of the community, old maids 
and old bachelors ,* we however, with great and 
due deference to the world and its opinions^ 
venture to surmise, that the assistance of that 
u best of devils,” Asmodeus, would, by giving 
us a peep into married families, convince us, 
that a greater redundance of the acid is to be 
found there, than amongst old maids and old 
bachelors. 

ACTOR.—A man whose constant study is 
to appear every character but what he really 
is; to seem enraged, when perfectly cool; to 
say things as if he really felt and thought 
them, when he can neither feel nor believe 
them. We are mistaken when we think actors 
are only to be met with at theatres, for each 
day confirms that 

“ All the world’s a stage, 

And all the men and women 
Merely players.” 

Shakspeare. 

ACTS.—More to be depended upon than 


6 


DICTIONARY FOR 


promises, we have long known; and every 
day we live confirms the fact. 

ADAPT.—To adapt your opinion to that 
of the rising power, is a sure and certain mode 
of getting up in the world, and is followed 
by many. 

ADMONISH.—To venture upon this, 
even with a friend, is sometimes a most 
hazardous thing, though the most gentle mode 
of reproof. 

ADONIS.—A sort of simpleton who might 
do for a lover, if not too much occupied with 
himself, but of whom no other earthly use can 
be made. At the present time (1819) we may 
call him a handsome dandy . 

ADORERS.—Of the greatest consequence 
to pretty women, men of talent, and all grandees. 

ADORN.—To decorate, one of the grand 
resources of amusement and pleasure, to a 
fashionable lady. 


THE FASHIONABLE WORLD, 


7 


ADVANCE.— What we all wish to dp, 
but many mistake the means, u Medio tutis- 
simus ibis is the best rule to go by. 

ADVENTURES.—A series of events, 
comic and serious, of which all travellers 
make the most. A bright genius will amuse 
his friends and the world, with an adventure 
that never had existence but in his own pro¬ 
lific brain. 

ADVERSARY.—When open and honest, 
not to be feared. 

ADVERSITY.—The touchstone of friend¬ 
ship ; a miserable state that exposes us to les¬ 
sons from all the world; a painful situation, 
which too often deprives us of the power 
of forming a just estimate of persons and 
things. 

ADVICE.—To ask advice, to ask approval . 
The question not always understood in its true 


* Ovid. 


s 


DICTIONARY FOR 

light, which makes us liable to receive a severe 
blow to our self-love. 

ADULT.—Grown up, but not past the 
age of ignorance and weakness, as in former 
times was the case; for in these enlightened 
days, there are masters, mistresses, and schools, 
for the adult in every rank of life. 

AFFECTATION.—In language, it weak¬ 
ens the ideas, as it lessens grace and beauty 
in all who possess it. “ L* ignorance m§me 
vaut mieux, qu’un savoir affecffi.” 

AFFECTION.— A disinterested senti¬ 
ment, less lively than love, but more durable; 
a true and sincere affection will lead us through 
the greatest difficulties to serve a friend. 

AFFIRM.—This is most confidently done 
by Lords and Commons, men in place and 
out of it, though they are themselves perfectly 
aware of the fallacy of their affirmations. 


AFFRONT.—An intended mark of con- 


THE FASHIONABLE WORLD. 


9 


tempt, which fails in its object upon a great 
mind. 

AGE.—Said to be the only secret a wo¬ 
man keeps inviolably. il Et je sais meme 
sur ce fait, bon nombre d’hommes qui sont 
femmes.” 

AGREEMENT.—A rare thing to find in 
families; more frequently to be found amongst 
unconnected individuals, where interest does 
not militate against it. 

AIRY.—“ The painters draw their nymphs 
in thin and airy habits.” The ladies of Eng¬ 
land have of late years followed this airy style 
of dress, in a way to rival any of the said 
nymphs. 

ALBUM.—Tablets of vanity, where little 
is found but records of pride and flattery. 

AMBITION.—An idol, worshipped al¬ 
most with the same fervor, and in the same 
degree, by the hero and the highwayman, by 

b 6 


10 


DICTIONARY FOR 


ministers and jugglers, yet “ the very sub¬ 
stance of the ambitious is merely the shadow 
of a dreamt Shakspeare. 

ANARCHY.—A horrible state of society, 
a tumultuous disturbance amongst the people, 
which is certain to end in a diminution of that 
liberty they are in search of, and often creates 
despotism in a state which was before free. 

ANGER.—Always leads people to do 
wrong, and most frequently when angry, we 
revenge the faults of others upon ourselves. 

ANSWER.—A thing never obtained direct 
from a Presbyterian. 

ANSWERABLE. — A most hazardous 
thing to be, for any one, or any thing, in 
this world. 

ANTICIPATION.—Of good or evil in 
the minds of many people is so strongly im¬ 
planted, that they rarely experience either 
real pain or pleasure in the degree ex- 


THE FASHIONABLE WORLD. 


11 


pected. Rouchefoucault says, “ On n’est 
jamais si heureux ni si malheureux, qu’on se 
Pimagine.” 

APATHY.—A most desirable , agreeable 
state , which renders us perfectly indifferent to 
either good or evil. 

APOTHECARY.—A man who mixes 
drugs, with the qualities of which he is little 
acquainted, to operate upon a constitution 
with which he is still less acquainted. 

APPEARANCE.—Not reality. A cur¬ 
tain, behind which we follow our own inven¬ 
tions, but which we keep extremely close to 
save appearances . 

APPLAUSE. — What every man who 
speaks in a public assembly expects , and what 
every man in his own opinion merits. 

APPREHENSION.—Pear, a dread of 
some impending evil, 

** And he the future evil shall no less, 

In apprehension, than in substance feel.” 


12 


DICTIONARY TOR 


ARGUMENT.—The life and spirit of 
discourse with many individuals. Those who 
have the greater flow of words, and strongest 
lungs , will always carry the day. 

ART.—A happy possession to those who 
know Well how to use it, as it most frequently 
pushes them forward in the world, when 
nothing else would have done so. 

ASS.—An epithet much abused, as we are 
constantly giving it to a stupid, ignorant per¬ 
son, who is totally void of the good qualities 
of this most patient and laborious animal. 

AVAIL.—It is a wise person who knows 
how to avail himself of the right moment to 
ask, when he has an object to attain; many a 
point is lost by not paying attention to this. 

AVARICE.—A vice of the blackest nature, 
excessive love of self, a total insensibility to 
the misery of others; it nips the affections, 
increases with years, and is insatiable. 


AVERSION.—This is a feeling which 


THE FASHIONABLE WORLD. 


13 


has been known to arise in the breasts of a 
couple, who have a few months before ,doted 
upon each other. Those who may imagine 
it is a misfortune, are quite ignorant of the 
fashionable world. We can assure them it is 
a most desirable state to arrive at, as it leaves 
both at liberty to follow their own plans. 

AVOID—Every thing that is disagreeable. 


B. 

BACKWARD.—The road all take who 
do not go forward. The mind never is sta¬ 
tionary. “ Homines nihil agendo discunt 
male agere.” Cato. 

BAIT.—An enticement, set to allure fish, 
animals, and men; and very frequently seized 
with greediness by all. 

BALANCE (of power ).—A system talked 
of and admired; which, like all other good 




14 


DICTIONARY FOR 


things, we feel assured was , in good old times , 
but which we can never hope to see again. 

BALCONY.—A projection from the win¬ 
dow of a Town house, which it is impossible 
now to live without; and which cannot sur¬ 
prise us when we consider the beautiful , ro- 
mantic view , the invigorating, fresh breeze , and 
calm tranquillity, enjoyed by this means, in 
the clear atmosphere, of our quiet metropolis. 

BALL.—A gay amusement, which to a 
person too deaf to hear the music, can only 
have the appearance of the company being 
mad. 

BALLOON.—A machine invented for the 
convenience of those who wish to visit the 
skies. 

BAMBOOZLE.—A way of bewildering 
a person, till you gain your point. 

BANKRUPTCY.—A way to enrich 
yourself (A. D, 1818). 


THE FASHIONABLE WORLD. 


15 


BARGAIN.—A good one, is a thing few 
will ever allow they have made . 

BARROW.—A great delight to an anti¬ 
quary, as he there finds a method of gratifying 
his wish of obtaining a few old broken jars, 
and perhaps may have the luck of getting 
some of the ancient bones of a Roman or 
Saxon hero, all which are more to him, than 
gold and jewels. 

BASHFUL.—Youth is bashful, age timor¬ 
ous. 

BASK.—We bask in the sunshine of power 
and riches, till we forget the gloom and misery 
around us. 

BAWBLE.—A gewgaw for every age. 

" Behold the child, by Nature’s liindly law 
Pleased with a rattle, tickled with a straw; 

Some livelier plaything gives his youth delight, 

A little louder, but as empty quite; 

Scarfs, garters, gold, amuse his riper stage, 

And beads and prayer-books are the toys of age.” 

Pope. 


16 


DICTIONARY FOR 


BEAU.—A clean, neat, smart man, not so 
fond of dress as to be inattentive to the ladies. 

** What will not beaux attempt to please the fair ?” 

Dryden. 

We are sorry to observe they are very much 
diminished, since the breed of dandies appear¬ 
ed in this country. 

BEAUTY.—Every one loves to look on 
beauty, excepting a vain woman, who when 
she sees in another beauty surpassing what 
her own glass reflects, suffers jealousy and 
envy alone to occupy her mind. 

BEGINNING.—The first step towards 
accomplishment, which perseverance only can 
ensure. 

BENIGNITY.—A good and gracious 
habit of the mind, which influences the whole 
life, and beautifies every action. 

BEWITCHED.—What most people are 
who fly to Gretna Green . “ Let not his 

soothing words bewitch your hearts.” Shak- 
SPEARE. 


THE FASHIONABLE WORLD. 17 

BILIOUS.— Sometimes a real illness. 
Often an excuse for ill-humour. 

BLAB.—Those who blab, are a thought¬ 
less, foolish set of people, who do nearly as 
much mischief as if they were really wicked. 

BLACKEN.—What an adversary always 
wishes to do by his opponent. 

To BLAME.—A propensity in the quick 
and clever, a habit in the weak and foolish, 
and a passion in the cross and ill-natured. 

BLEMISH.—The only blemish of the 
present age, is that, of a deformity of nature, 
or a scar, which tends to the diminution of 
beauty; in days of yore , they allowed of the 
blemish of a name or character! 

BLIND.—To be deprived of sight. We 
are mistaken if we imagine these the only 
blind; we meet every day with people who 
are perfectly so to their own faults; and 
others, who are equally blind to the imper- 


18 


DICTIONARY FOR 


fections of a beloved object, or the perfec¬ 
tions of an enemy. 

BLOCK.—A heavy, thick sort of head , 
upon which wigs are placed, sometimes of 
wood, sometimes upon the shoulders of indi¬ 
viduals ; and these last are called block-heads* 

BLOOM.—Natural bloom; a thing which 
flourishes in the country, but is seldom seen 
in town. 

BLUNTNESS.—A rude and unpleasant 
thing to meet with, particularly when we feel 
some truths may not be agreeable. 

a ’Tis not enough your counsel still be true j 
Blunt truths more mischief than nice falsehoods do.” 

Pope. 

BLUSH.—An emblem of shame and con¬ 
fusion modern belles are not much troubled 
with. 

BOLDNESS.—Courage and bravery in a 
man, disgusting impudence in a woman. 


THE FASHIONABLE WORLD* 19 

BOOKS.—An ornament in all fashionable 
rooms, and sometimes of use , when they have 
not been cut down to fit into a beautiful little 
bookcase! which we are assured has been 
done, by the desire of a lady who was disap* 
pointed to find she could not get her books to 
fit in without this happy contrivance. 

BORE.—Every unpleasant, stupid thing 
we are obliged to do, is a bore. We also 
meet with men and women every where who 
are great bores; and who are as anxious to 
push themselves into society, as every one else 
is to push them out. 

BOTANIST.—A person who delights as 
much in weeds as the antiquary in bones , or the 
miser in gold, 

BRAGGART.—A man who is his own 
trumpeter. An occupation much followed 
since the peace. 

BRAINLESS.—Witless; arising from a 
deficiency in the formation of the head, by 


20 


DICTIONARY FOR 


no means uncommon, but not perceptible to 
the owner. 

BRAVE.— A courageous, high-spirited 
man. 

“ The brave do never shun the light; 

Just are their thoughts, and open are their tempers; 

Freely without disguise they love, or hate: 

Still are they found in the face of day. 

And heaven and men are judges of their actions.” 

BREVITY.—A thing not understood by 
either lawyers or orators: it is much to be 
lamented that many of them do not study it. 

BRIBE.—A thing of the greatest use in 
the affairs of war, and love, to say nothing of 
elections. 

BRIBERY.—There was formerly a law 
made by the Romans against the bribery and 
extortion of the governors of provinces. We 
can have no occasion for such a law; as our 
governors would scorn such acts . 


BRUTES.—To be found walking upon 


THE FASHIONABLE WORLD. 


21 


two legs, as well as four, and are much the 
most to be feared and dreaded. 

BUBBLE.—A thing frequently thrown 
out to keep John Bull in good-humour. 

BUDGET.—A bag, which has cost many 
a minister a sleepless night before he has been 
able to screw up his courage to open it. 

BUSY-BODIES.—A set of people who 
kindly take a great deal of trouble about the 
affairs of others, though it cannot be of the 
least consequence to themselves;—we ought 
to feel extremely obliged to them for the in¬ 
terest they take, but we are apt ungratefully 
to look upon them as intermeddlers, and a 
dangerous sort of people. 

BUT.—A delightful little word, which 
greatly flatters the amour-propre of those who 
are obliged to make a panegyric upon an ac¬ 
quaintance. 


22 


DICTIONARY FOR 


c. 

CABAL.-—Little means to accomplish 
great ends ; an art brought to high perfection 
in our times. 

CABINET.—A place where secrets and 
mysteries are locked up for the study of 
kings. 

CALCULATION.—Never to be relied 
upon. 

CALM.—A state of bliss which few enjoy, 
even when in their power. 

CALUMNIATOR.—A deadly assassin. 

CANDIDATE.—A man soliciting for a 
dignity, and submitting to the most degrading 
indignities to obtain it. 


CANDOUR.—The quality of an open, 


THE FASHIONABLE WORLD. <2$ 

ingenuous heart, which is too often taken ad¬ 
vantage of by an artful knave. 

CAPRICE.—A little sort of tyranny we 
allow of in a beautiful woman. 

CARRIAGE (fashionable). — A thing 
which with four fine horses, and all its proper 
appurtenances, costs a man as much in the 
present times, as a moderate sized house and 
furniture did sixty years ago *. 

CELEBRITY.—Gives you the advantage 
of being known to those you never saw, and 
of being insulted in daily papers. There are 
various other little advantages gained by cele¬ 
brity. 

CEREMONIOUS. — A genteel way of 
keeping people at a proper distance. 

* The author was assured of this by a gentleman who had 
purchased a house and furniture upon his marriage within the 
period herein named j and was at the time he mentioned it, 
taking a drive in his barouche-landau, with four fine horses and 
two out-riders. 


24 


DICTIONARY FOR 


CERTAIN.—Nothing under the sun is 
certain. 

CHAIR.—A piece of furniture little re¬ 
garded in these luxurious days, unless it will 
answer the purposes of sleep as well as rest. 

CHANGE.—A most happy resource to 
the world in general. 

CHAR ACTER.—Formerly a thing guard¬ 
ed with the greatest care, now , of too little 
consequence to be thought about. 

CHARMING.—This word is made use 
of in the most contradictory Way, as things 
and persons are charming according to the 
whims and fancies of the individual. Though 
with some kind souls } every-body and every¬ 
thing is charming, from the man to the mouse, 
from a marriage to a murder, and from a 
beautiful, magnificent view amongst the Alps, 
to a smart, painted, snug box belonging 
to a cit, in the neighbourhood of the me¬ 
tropolis. 


THE FASHIONABLE WORLD. 25 

CHATTERER.—One who is constantly 
chattering, and who generally has more words 
in his head than ideas. 

“ Words are like leaves, and where they most abound. 
Much fruit of sense beneath is rarely found.” 

Pope. 

CHEERFULNESS.—One of the greatest 
blessings we can] enjoy, both for ourselves 
and those around us. 

CHESS.—An abstruse game, but one of 
the most delightful amusements ever in¬ 
vented. 

CHILDHOOD.—A state in which some 
continue throughout their lives. 

^CHILL.—To chill, an art that some pos¬ 
sess, and which is experienced in every com¬ 
pany they mix with. 

CHIME.—A happy nack of chiming in 
with every voice, will make you a most de¬ 
sirable companion. 


c 


26 


DICTIONARY FOR 


CHOICE.—A puzzling dangerous thing 
to make at all times. 

CIPHERS.—Of great use in the world. 
Numbers to be found at court, in our Houses 
of Parliament, and in all great assemblies. 

CIRCUMSPECTION.—Great caution, 
and measured watchfulness over your conduct 
in society, a varnish which may cover and 
hide numerous faults, and even vices. 

CIVILITY.—A thing quite obsolete in 
the fashionable world, and subjecting you to 
be quizzed. 

CLAD.—To be completely clothed, which 
the economy of the times renders barely ne 
cessary. 

CLAMOUR.—A turbulent uproar, some¬ 
times to be heard on the outside of St. Ste¬ 
phen’s, sometimes within; and the latter more 
difficult to quell than the former. 


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CLEMENCY.—-A virtue to be cherished 
in royal minds. 

CLOUD.—A dark collection of vapours, 
from which some unfortunate persons are fated 
never to emerge. 

COAT (turn).—Vide Ratting. 

To COAX.—A wheedling, silly method of 
trying to bring a spoilt child, and a pettish 
woman into good humour. 

COLLEAGUES.—People who are em¬ 
ployed together in administration, in laying 
the public under contribution, or in any other 
profitable trade. 

COLOURING.—There are some who 
understand this useful art so perfectly, that 
they will, by dint of colouring , make every thing 
appear brilliant, and every action plausible. 

COMBINATIONS.—Nurseries for hatch¬ 
ing mischief. 


28 


DICTIONARY FOR 


COMFORT.—A thing by no means gene¬ 
rally understood. 

COMFORTABLE.—The most comfort¬ 
able thing we know is, to have the power of 
dispensing comfort to others. 

“ Comfort, like the golden"Sun, 

Dispels the sullen shade with her sweet influence. 

And cheers the melancholy house of care.” 

COMFORTLESS.—Places, and things, 
so often come under this denomination, we 
should imagine it was very generally under¬ 
stood. 

COMICAL.—A comical fellow is wel¬ 
come every where, for we nearly all agree in 
thinking it more agreeable to laugh than to 
cry. 

COMMAND.—Thought by most people 
a very pleasant occupation. 

COMMODIOUS.—We think every thing 
so that we find convenient and suitable to our 
wishes. 


THE FASHIONABLE WORLD. 29 

COMMONERS.—A rank of people that 
are becoming every day more scarce. 

COMMONS.—The lower House of Par¬ 
liament. Where, if a man can say Ay and No, 
it is all that is requisite to give him a seat. It 
is expected he should understand when to say 
one, and when the other, but there are many 
who make dreadful mistakes in this point. 

COMPANION. — A person by whose 
character your own is always estimated, there¬ 
fore great care ought to be taken in selecting 
a companion, which youth, in general, dis¬ 
regards. 

COMPARISON.—What few people or 
things can bear. 

COMPASSION.—What we should never 
shut our hearts to. 

* How few, like thee, enquire the wretched out. 

And count the offices of soft humanity! 
like thee, reserve their raiment for the naked. 

Reach out their bread to feed the crying orphan. 

Or mix their pitying tears with those that weep.” 


30 


DICTIONARY FOR 


COMPETENCY.—A comfortable suf¬ 
ficiency for all that is necessary to happiness. 

“ Reason’s whole pleasure, all the joys of sense. 

Lie in these words, health, peace, and competence.” 

Popk. 

To COMPLAIN.—To grumble, murmur, 
and lament, in which many people appear to 
take great delight. 

COMPLAISANCE.—A desire of pleas¬ 
ing, that induces us to laugh, and to cry, as 
circumstances require. 

COMPLIANCE.—A disposition to yield, 
not always desirable, or to be relied upon; 
for ( 

“ He that complies against his will. 

Is of his own opinion still.” 

Hudibras. 

COMPLICATION.—The art of confus¬ 
ing and perplexing, so that nothing can be 
understood. 

2 7 o COMPLIMENT.—A most necessary 


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31 


part of the education of young men, and what 
they should pay particular attention to if they 
wish to be in favour with the ladies. 

COMPREHENSIBLE. — Intelligible, 
which is frequently a most difficult task to 
render things. 

COMPULSION.—A mighty disagreeable 
way of forcing a thing down your throats, 
nolens miens . 

CONCEAL—All your faults. 

CONCEIT.—A pretty little conceit of 
your own perfection is very right; and take 
good care never to be out of conceit with 
yourself. 

CONCISE.—A style novelists, and indeed 
all other writers, would do well to adopt. 

CONCORD.—A perfect agreement be¬ 
tween persons or sounds, and seldom found 
in one or the other. 


32 


DICTIONARY FOR 


CONDEMN.—What we are very prone to 
do, without having first looked at home. 

CONFIDENCE.—A good share of this 
is necessary to a young lady in high life, that 
she may come out with eclat. 

CONFORM.—To comply with the forms 
and manners of the country you are in; a 
thing seldom done by the English, which 
makes them extremely disagreeable to foreign¬ 
ers. 

CONFRONT.—To stand face to face. 
A great horror to a tale bearer. 

CONFUSION.—A sort of medley and 
tumultuous disorder, the state of many heads . 

CONGRESS.—An appointed place where 
ministers from their emperors and kings for¬ 
merly met, to settle the affairs between their 
different nations. But since emperors and 
kings find they can travel about like other 
people, they know better than to trust their 


THE FASHIONABLE WORLD. 33 

ministers ; therefore meet to do business and 
hold a congress (or conspiracy of crowned 
heads) to settle amongst themselves what each 
country is to do. 

CONJECTURER.—A sort of castle- 
builder y who is sometimes very agreeable. 

CONNIVANCE.—An expected qualifica¬ 
tion in an humble companion. 

CONSCIENCE.—The certain punisher 
of a guilty person. 

« Yet there’s a thorn called conscience mates its way. 

Through all the fence of pleasure.” 

CONSEQUENCE.—Some few foolish 
people think it necessary to consider this 
before they act. 

To CONSIDER.—To think; a very old- 
fashioned waste of time. 

CONSISTENCY.—A rarity seldom to be 
found, either in public acts or private families. 

c 5 


34 t) ACTION ARY FOR 

CONSOLER.—One who is repaid by the 
feelings of his own heart. 

CONSPICUOUS.—To be conspicuous; 
a situation much coveted. 

rrrnr t \ • * : 

CONSTANCY.—What is never to be ex¬ 
pected, except in true friendship. 

CONTEMPT.—What all who have dis¬ 
regarded virtue and the opinion of the world 
are viewed with, however ignorant of it rank 
and riches may tend to keep them. 

CONTEMPTIBLE. — All those who 
commit mean and dirty actions. 

CONTENT.—What few in this world are 
with their lot, though, if wise, all would try to 
be so, as no state can be happy to a discon¬ 
tented mind. 

“ What though we quit all glitfring pomp and greatness, 
The busy, noisy flattery of courts. 

We shall enjoy content. In that alone 
Is greatness, power, wealth, honour, all summ’d up.” 


THE FASHIONABLE WORLD. 35 

CONTENTION.— Little quarrels and 
mutual opposition, that greatly tend to en¬ 
liven the married life. 

CONTRADICTION.—Some are so ex¬ 
tremely attached to this, that they take care 
never, on any occasion , to be of the opinion of 
the person they are conversing with. 

To CONVINCE — An obstinate person, 
a Herculean labour. 

COOKERY. — An art much in vogue. 
“ Every one to cookery pretendsand every 
new dish furnishes a subject for conversation 
during dinner. 

COQUETTE.—A vain, silly woman, who 
injures no one by her folly but herself. 

COQUET (male ).—One of the most des¬ 
picable, worthless characters we know; a 
man who, for his own amusement and gratifi¬ 
cation, coolly sets about gaining the affections 


36 


DICTIONARY FOR 


of an innocent, unsuspecting girl; and when 
he is tired, laughs at her, and turns to play 
the same game with another; has generally 
some defect in the head and heart , and his 
character, when seen through, is treated with 
contempt by all respectable persons of both 
sexes. 

CORPULENCY.—Absolutely necessary 
to perfect beauty in the eyes of the Dey of 
Algiers, and as necessary in royal eyes at 
home !—Chacun a son gout. 

COTTAGE.—Formerly a cottage was a 
neat, snug habitation, which gave every idea 
of comfort without luxury. In our days we 
see cottages w ith from 50 to 100 rooms, where 
luxury, not comfort, is visible throughout 

COUNTERFEIT. — A fictitious cha¬ 
racter, which too often succeeds in deceiving 
an upright, unsuspicious mind. 

* Vide the cottages of a noble duke and honourable peer 
in the west of England. 


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37 


COURT.— 

“ The court’s a golden, but a fatal circle, 
Upon whose magic skirts a thousand devils; 
In chrystal forms sit tempting Innocence, 
And beckon early virtue from its centre.” 


COURTSEY. — In the last century, to 
courtsey well was thought necessary to ele¬ 
gance of manners in high life. In this, a 
courtsey is never seen but in the lowest 
ranks. 

COURTIER.—A man who must be per¬ 
fect in the art of flattering, bowing, and smil¬ 
ing, and 

“ Of all court-service learn the common lot. 

To-day ’tis done, to-morrow ’tis forgot.” 

COWARD.—A poltroon shunned by every 
one. 

“ Of all the wonders that I yet have heard. 

It seems to me most strange that man should fear, 
Seeing that Death, a necessary end, 

Will come when it will come.” 

Shakspeare. 


CRANIOLOGY.—One of the most useful 


38 


DICTIONARY FOR 


and astonishing discoveries of this enlightened 
age, for which we are indebted to two learned 
doctors, Gall and Spurzheim. They assure 
us the art is brought to such perfection, that a 
skilful person, upon examination of the differ¬ 
ent parts of a skull, will clearly point out the 
propensities, faculties, and even secret thoughts 
of the person to whom it belongs. This being 
proved to the satisfaction of all, (except those 
unfortunate persons whose organ of folly 
greatly preponderates) the utility of the art 
cannot be disputed, as a knowledge of the 
prominent features of a character will enable 
us at once to avoid all communication with 
evil disposed persons. 

To CRINGE. — Courtiers and Spaniels 
understand this best. 

CRITIC. — An unmerciful searcher of 
faults. Very little wit, and a large share of 
ill-nature, is all that is necessary to form a 
good critic. 

“ Tis hard to say, if greater want of skill 
Appear in writing or in judging ill, 


THE FASHIONABLE WORLD. 39 

But of the two, less dang’rous is th’ offence 
To tire our patience, than mislead our sense; 

Some few in that, but numbers err in this. 

Ten censure wrong, for one who writes amiss: 
***#*#*# 

In poets, as true genius is but rare, 

True taste as seldom is the critic’s share.” Pope. 

CROAKER.—A person who has great 
delight in the failure of every undertaking, 
public or private. He had foretold it all! 
would therefore grieve to be in the wrong, 
though thousands may be rendered miserable 
by his being in the right. 

CROOKED. — There are many whose 
ways are always crooked, yet think themselves 
in the direct, straight line. 

CURIOSITY.—A person blessed with 
this quality is a sort of spy, extremely trouble¬ 
some to all his neighbours. He descends to 
a thousand little acts of meanness to obtain 
intelligence respecting the secret history of 
others, knows what prospect of happiness they 
have in their children, how often the husband 
and wife quarrel, the economy or extravagance 


40 


DICTIONARY FOR 


of the house, how they are cheated by their 
servants, cum multis aliis. 

“ Scire volunt secreta domtis, atque inde timeri.” 

Juv. 

CUSTOM.—Reconciles people to the 
most extraordinary things, such as turning 
night into day, being dressed when most un¬ 
dressed, &c. &c ; in short, there is nothing 
custom cannot do. 


D. 

DANCE.—To dance attendance. Those 
who have any favour to ask of the great, should 
be aufait at this sort of exercise, or they may 
chance to have both mind and body tired out 
by the exertion, ere an audience of the great 
man be obtained. 

DANDY.—A creature unknown in Eng¬ 
land till of very late years. It is supposed to 
have some great defect in the formation of the 




THE FASHIONABLE WORLD. 41 

head: some think the organ of folly is of such 
an extreme size in these animals , as to push 
every other organ in the head out of its place, 
and entirely to compress the brain ; for sense 
they certainly have none, and motion is almost 
wholly denied them; incurvation is totally out 
of their power, and they are the most helpless 
of any two-legged animal upon the earth; yet 
they are as imitative as monkeys, and appear 
to follow every profession; and we have even 
been shocked to see them in the highest walk 
of our church! 

“We have heard of a buck, macearoni, and spark. 

But a dandy (poor thing) was unknown in the ark. 

For Noah had never endeavour’d to save 
A thing of no use from the deluge’s wave.” 

DASH.—To cut a dash is with many the 
dearest object of their lives. 

To DAUB.—There are numbers who daub 
a face on canvass, and others who daub their 
own faces. 


DECEIVED.—To be deceived where you 


42 


DICTIONARY FOR 


fancied all perfection, is one of the most se¬ 
vere trials we are subject to; for 

" Long and keenly smarts the rankling wound. 

Where those admired and loved, are worthless found; 
And truth’s broad mirror, with a thousand flaws, 

Obscures the spotless image memory draws.” 

DECENCY.—To keep up a modest ex¬ 
terior. In former times thought indispensable 
to virtue ; in these airy days we know better. 

To DECIDE.—-A thing that some persons 
can never do. 

» # *' |k • I A ' » ■ *> 

DECLAMATION.—The art of talking a 
great deal upon a mere trifle, and of bringing 
forward, in a splendid, pompous style of lan¬ 
guage, a tale of “ dear nothings.” 

" To hear my nothings monster’d.” 

Shakspeare. 

DECORUM.—Obsolete. 

> 7 g'tT C >.• II— rj UiiVi 

DEFIANCE.—To bid defiance. Take 
care to do this to the whole world, the mo¬ 
ment your conscience whispers that you de¬ 
serve its censure. 


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43 


DEFICIENT.—A failing in some par¬ 
ticular point, which all are fated to experience 
more or less. The head and the heart are the 
points in which deficiency is most common, 
and most to be dreaded. 

DEGENERATION. —A work always 
going on in the opinion of the existing gene¬ 
ration. The laudator temporis acti has been 
a character in all ages. 

To DELAY.—What never can be done 
with safety, yet what we find most people 
given to practise. “ Qui non est hodie , eras 
minus aptus erit. v 

DELIBERATION.—A little of this 
would save many from ruin and misery; but 
though open to all, it is only the few who 
make use of it. 

DELIGHT.—Experienced in its true sense 
by the girl who is dressing for her first ball. 

DELUSION.—A state from which it is 
sometimes misery to be drawn. 


44 


DICTIONARY FOR 


DEMONSTRATION.—A proof rarely 
allowed by the opposite party. 

DEMONSTRATION (ocular). — The 
only thing to be relied upon when we hear a 
malicious tale. 

DEMURE.—Decent, demure, good sort 
of bodies, who go where they will, are never 
les bien verms. 

DEl^Y.—Boldly deny every accusation, 
true or untrue, which you do not like. 

DEPENDENCE.—A state the most de¬ 
plorably contemptible that an individual can 
exist in. 

DEPRECIATE.—To lower people and 
things in general estimation, which to many 
persons is a mighty agreeable amusement. 

DESIGN.—An intention, a project, a re¬ 
solution to do a thing ; but 

“ L’homme propose 
(Dit le proverbe) Et Dieu dispose 


THE FASHIONABLE WORLD. 


45 


“ Et cela sans doute est la cause 
Qu’en ce monde tout va si bien.” 


DEVIL (poor ),—A man whose appetite 
far exceeds his means of satisfying it; on 
whom all liberally bestow their pity, but they 
consider not where he is to get a dinner. 

DIMINUTIVE.—To be small and little, 
i. e. best , for all little things are best loved; 
which is proved to be a general opinion, as 
we always use little as a term of endearment. 

DISCOMPOSE.—To ruffle and disorder. 
The discomposure of a dress has been known 
to discompose the temper of many a fair 
dame. 

DISCONTENTED.—What all are who 
fail of getting into situations they feel con¬ 
vinced they ought to fill. 

DISCOUNTENANCE—All those who 
follow your own profession. 


DISCRETION.—An extremely foolish. 


46 


DICTIONARY FOR 


unnecessary thing to pay attention to, when 
we daily witness the facility with which peo¬ 
ple get on who have no portion of this quality. 

To DISCRIMINATE.—This is a thing 
which all do well according to their own opi¬ 
nion. 

DISDAIN.—One of the most necessary 
points in the character of a fine lady in the 
great world; as she may frequently have occa¬ 
sion to call it forth, when ill-luck throws a 
poor relation or a country acquaintance in 
her way. 

DISGUST.—A sensation we rarely in 
these days can go into public without ex¬ 
periencing. 

DISINTERESTEDNESS. — A virtue 
not often met with, and when we hear of a 
really disinterested act, the wise regard it as a 
mark of folly; though we are inclined to think 
with Erasmus, 

“ I’d rather much be censur’d for a fool, 

Than feel the lash mid smart of wisdom’s school.” 


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47 


DISLIKE.—-A most agreeable sensation 
to feel towards those persons we are fated to 
spend our lives with. 

DISSEMBLER.-—A man more to be 
dreaded than the most inveterate, open enemy 
you can have. 

“ Why, I can smile, and murder while I smile, 

And cry content to that which grieves my heart, 

And wet my cheeks with artificial tears, 

And frame my face to all occasions.” 

Shakspeare. 


DISSIMULATION.—An art which can 
never become habitual, without narrowing the 
mind and hardening the heart. 

DISTINGUISHABLE.—To be known. 
Not always desirable. Great people have been 
known to go about in carriages without arms, 
and servants without their livery, to avoid 
being distinguishable. 

u Qui capit, ille facit.” 

DIVULGE—Every little bit of scandal 
you know for the amusement of your friends. 


4S 


DICTIONARY FOR 


DIZZINESS.—One of the agreeable ef¬ 
fects of waltzing, both upon ourselves and 
those who look at us. 

To DO.—One part of our lives is passed in 
doing ill, another part in doing nothing, and 
great part in doing things we had better have 
left undone . 

DOCILE.—What a man wishes his dog, 
his horse, and his wife to be. 

DOG.—A term of reproach unjustly ap¬ 
plied to a contemptible man, as a dog is the 
most faithful domestic animal that lives. 

DOGMATIC.—Applicable to most Fel¬ 
lows of colleges. 

DROWSINESS. — A very troublesome 
complaint, which commonly attacks people 
just when it should not. 

DRUNKENNESS_A road to death 

against which all reason revolts. An incorri¬ 
gible vice, and a disgrace to humanity. 


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49 


DUN.—A “ horrible monster,” never wel¬ 
come any where. 


E. 

EAR.—Through this little organ we ex¬ 
perience the extremes of pain and pleasure, 
in a way that cannot be conceived by those 
who have none . 

ECLAT.—What all men who enter into 
public life aim at; and all women, when they 
give masqued balls, &c. &c. 

ECLIPSE.—To eclipse another; a great 
charm to men of talent of every denomination, 
and it is an equal one to all fashionable fine 
ladies, to eclipse their friends in dress or un¬ 
dress .—We daily see common sense, gaiety, 
science, and honour, eclipsed by the interposi¬ 
tion of wit, pride, ignorance, and vice. 

ECONOMY.—The exact state between 

D 



50 


DICTIONARY FOR 


prodigality and avarice; but which very fre¬ 
quently ends in leaning towards the latter. 

EGOTIST.—A man who will talk for 
hours, and require no subject but self; and he 
imagines all his hearers as deeply interested in 
that dear subject as himself. 

ELECTIONS.—One of the great privi¬ 
leges of a free people, but where intrigue and 
corruption generally play the principal game; 
and we for ever see the honest, upright man, 
compelled to secede, by the dirty transactions 
and chicanery of an intriguer. 

J 

ELEVATION.—The strongest heads are 
often found too weak to bear elevation with¬ 
out giddiness. 

ELOQUENCE.—A fluency of words, by 
which we are often completely misled. 

“-Multis dicendi copia torrens, 

Et sua mortifera est facundia.” JuV- 

EMINENCE.—The goal each artist starts 
for, but few reach. 



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51 


EMOLUMENT.—The first object in the 
minds of many, for when the desire of wealth 
seizes the mind, it overwhelms every other: 
yet who that reflects seriously for a moment, 
can imagine, that to be rich , is to be happy. 
Till money can act as a charm against disease 
and infirmity, in ourselves, and those we love, 
we never can hope to see it accomplish so de¬ 
sirable an end. 


ENCOURAGEMENT.—Take care to 
give encouragement only when necessary, and 
you will not often be called upon. 


ENIGMATICAL. — Paradoxical, which 
we find many take great delight in being. 


ENLIGHTEN.—The rage ^ enlighten 
every one, and upon every subject, is become 
so great, that there is no doubt but we must 
become the wisest of all nations. 


To ENNOBLE.—A rage which predomi¬ 
nates as furiously as that of enlightening the 
nation. We therefore bid fair to shine in stars 
and wisdom with equal splendor. 


52 


DICTIONARY FOR 


ENTHUSIASM.—A species of madness, 
which no one wishes to be cured of. 

ENVY.—A most pernicious fever, which 
has its origin in the happiness of others. 

EPICURE.—A man for whom nature has 
created nothing delicate enough to satisfy his 
palate. 

EQUALITY.—A chimera of philosophers, 
from which much mischief has sprung. The 
equality of the law is the only one which can 
be realized. 

EQUIVOCAL.—Of ambiguous meaning, 
and of great use in the world, as it enables us 
to turn to any side which we may find most to 
our advantage. 

EQUIVOCATION.-Ambiguity of 

speech. A fa$on de parler , which is of the 
greatest possible service to all worldly people. 

ERROR.—A fault of the mind which ap¬ 
pears inherent in human nature. “ To err is 



THE FASHIONABLE WORLD. 53 

human,” we always find the reply of those 
who wish to excuse their follies. 

ESTABLISHMENT. — The servants, 
&c. &c. which constitute a household ; so 
delightful to youth are the promises held out 
by the command of this household, that many 
girls hazard all the future comfort and happi¬ 
ness of their lives to obtain it. 

ESTEEM. — What cannot be withheld 
from a virtuous character; but what we can 
never give to the greatest talents, without vir¬ 
tue. 

EVASION.—This is much cultivated, as a 
most useful artifice to impose on the credulity 
of others, and a means by which we escape 
immediate evils. It may likewise tend to our 
becoming perfect in the art of falsehood. 

EVERLASTING. —What is never to 
end. The case with the misfortunes and dis¬ 
orders of a nervous, fanciful, whimsical person. 


EXAGGERATION.—The delightful art 


54 


DICTIONARY FOR 


of making a good, laughable, ill-natured story, 
out of a trifling, stupid, innocent one. There 
are dull, hum-drum people in the world, who 
foolishly think only of the mischief it may do, 
and cannot therefore be entertained!—We pity 
them. 

EXAMPLE.—A thing of the utmost con¬ 
sequence to the morals and conduct of society 
in general. The knowledge of this, is the rea¬ 
son that our princes and nobility are so won¬ 
derfully correct and careful respecting the ex¬ 
amples they set . 

“ — : Dociles iniitandis 

Turpibus, ac pravis omnes sumus.” 

Juv. 


To EXASPERATE.—To provoke and 
irritate, a very agreeable sort of fun, particu¬ 
larly if you know the persons you are playing 
upon, will be likely to expose themselves. 

EXCUSE.—A letter of exchange of little 
intrinsic value, but of great currency in the 
world , given, and received, with equal credit 
by all parties. 



THE FASHIONABLE WORLD. 


55 


EXERTION.—A wise person never fa¬ 
tigues himself by exertion, unless the effort be 
likely to tend in some snug way to his own ad¬ 
vantage. 

To EXHIBIT.—What the ladies of the 
present day understand to perfection . 

EXPECTATION. — A state of great 
anxiety, whether attended by hope or fear. 

“ With what a leaden and retarding weight, 

Does expectation load the wing of time.” 

Mason. 


EXPERIENCE.—The best of all in¬ 
structors. 

EXPLAIN.—To make every thing per¬ 
fectly clear in the way that suits yourself and, 
if necessary, to explain the meaning quite 
away. Some gentlemen in the law who are 
extremely clever excel in doing this. 

EXPOSTULATION.—A thing by which, 
in general, we might save ourselves the trouble 
of attempting to make any sort of impression. 


56 


DICTIONARY FOR 


To EXPUNGE.—To efface; not always 
an easy thing to do. Many would most gladly 
blot out the past; but some impressions are 
too strong ever to be effaced, either from our 
own mind, or the minds of others. 

EXTERIOR.—A thing which all sensible 
people, who have children, attend much more 
to than the interior; for they well know the 
consequence of appearance in the world. 

To EXTRACT.—To draw all you can 
from a wiser head than your own. 

EXTRAORDINARY. — Nothing we 
either see, or hear, comes under this denomi¬ 
nation. 

EXTREMES (of fashion ),—Always to 
be found amongst the vulgar. 

EXTRICATE.—To disentangle a person 
from a state of perplexity. Many who are 
unfortunately in want of this assistance, find 
themselves, alas! in the predicament of the 
poor “ Hare and many Friends.” 


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57 


EYE.—A most capricious little luminary, 
through which we frequently view things per¬ 
fectly different from what they really are; we 
require nothing more to convince us of this, 
than the certainty, that no two or three peo¬ 
ple ever see things in the same light; and that 
there are many in the world who do not them¬ 
selves view an object in the same , three days 
together. 


F. 

FABLE. — Fiction; a field for the exer¬ 
cise of the inventive faculties ; fables are well 
calculated, by amusing, to convey moral pre¬ 
cepts to the infant mind; but to amuse and 
mislead those of riper years, invention is often 
exerted for bad purposes, and assumes all the 
mischievous qualities of falsehood. 

FABRICATION.-A work followed by 
many who have little employment; and some¬ 
times accomplished with an ingenuity that 
deludes the wisest. 

D 5 




58 


DICTIONARY FOR 


FACETIOUS.—A flippant, pert sort of 
wit, which provokes us more than stu¬ 
pidity. 

FACILITY.—Easiness of doing a thing, 
which very greatly lessens the pleasure of ac¬ 
complishing it. 

FACTOTUM.—A useful scrub no one 
should be without. 

FACTION.—A party who cabal, and form 
a kind of conspiracy against the rest of the 
nation. Many men, who shine in faction, 
make a very poor figure when they arrive at 
the point they have been aiming at. We often 
find the most ignorant the most violent, for 
neither the bee nor the ant is a busier animal 
than the blockhead. Yet we have been told 
that such animals are necessary instruments to 
politicians; as it is with states, as with clocks, 
proper to have some dead weight attached to 
them, to regulate the motions of the finer and 
more useful parts. 


FADDLE.—To fiddle-faddle. Both gen- 


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59 


tlemen and ladies are much given to this in¬ 
nocent amusement. 

FAIR-DEALING.—A thing seldom to 
be found. 

FALLACIOUS.—The greater part of our 
hopes and expectations. 

FALSEHOOD.—A most pernicious vice 
often instigated by vanity, and spreads from 
the prince to the peasant. 

“ Falsehood and fraud grow up in every soil 

The product of all climes.” 

FAME.—To the desire of fame, many a 
man sacrifices his hopes and happiness. 

“ Will future fame my present ills relieve? 

And what is fame ? that flattering noisy sound, 

But the cold lie of universal vogue!” 


FAMILIARITY.—Vulgar freedom, which 
is certain to procure us the contempt of the 
world. 


60 


DICTIONARY FOR 


FAMOUS.—What we all flatter ourselves 
we are, for some one thing or other. 

FANCIFUL.—What most fine ladies are. 

FANCY.—A conception of things from 
which we derive infinite pleasure. 

“ And as imagination bodies forth 
The forms of things unknown, the poet’s pen 
Turns them to shapes, and gives to airy nothing 
A local habitation, and a name.” 

Siiakspeare. 

FARCE.—A very common thing, acted 
both on the stage and off the stage. 

FASHION.—Change of fashion : a heavy 
tax imposed upon the rich and foolish, from 
which the industrious poor derive affluence. 

FASHIONABLES.—Every lady’s ladi/, 
every gentleman’s gentleman , and all the shop 
people that you meet with. 


FASTIDIOUS. — A most unfortunate 


THE FASHIONABLE WORLD. 61 

thing to be; as content and satisfaction are 
scarcely ever experienced by the fastidious. 

FATE.—What we are prone to charge 
with all our misfortunes; though an investiga¬ 
tion at home, would generally convince us 
fate had been in our own hands. 

FATIGUE.—This is a thing seldom or 
never experienced when we are following our 
own inventions ; but becomes extremely trou¬ 
blesome when doing what we do not like. 

FAVOR.—To be in favor at court (or in¬ 
deed elsewhere) is mighty agreeable ; but such 
favour is like the weathercock, liable to change 
with every wind. 

“ ’Tls slippery ground; beware you keep your feet; 

For public favor is a public cheat.” 

And the favor of fortune is equally fickle. 

FAVORITE.—A person of considerable 
consequence to all great people. Often a 
character composed of insolence and mean¬ 


ness. 


62 


DICTIONARY FOR 


FAULTLESS.—There is nothing in ex¬ 
istence faultless. 

To FAWN.—One of the principal requi¬ 
sites in the character of a favorite. 

FEE.—Delightfully sweet in the ear and 
hand of the physician and lawyer. 

FEELING.—A most unnecessary, trouble¬ 
some thing to be plagued with, if you mean to 
get on well in the world. 

FELICITY (perfect ).—A chimera we have 
long sought to seize in vain. 

“ 11 r/est point retir6 dans le fond d’un bocage, 

II est encore moins cliez les Rois; 

11 n’est pas meme chez le Sage; 

De cette courte vie il n’est point le partage; 

11 faut y renoncer, mais on peut quelquefois 
Embrasser au moins son image.” 

FICKLE.—A wavering sort of turn very 
commonly found in both men and women. 


FIDELITY.—Look for this in your dog. 


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63 


FLATTERERS.—A set of people who 
sacrifice truth and all that is honest and up¬ 
right* to fawn and wheedle themselves into 
favor. 

“ Adulandi gens prudentissima laudat 
Sermonem indocti, faciera deformis amici.” 

Juv. 

FLATTERY.—If we did not flatter our¬ 
selves, no one could flatter us. 

FLUTTER-—A little pleasing vibration 
frequently experienced by lovers, 

FOOLS.—Still to be found in numbers, 
though not in these days openly kept by 
royalty. 

" Fortune takes care that fools should still be seen; 

She places them aloft, o’ th’ topmost spoke 
Of all her wheel. Fools are the daily work 
Of Nature, her vocation. If she form 
A man, she loses by it ; ’tis too expensive ; 

’Twould make ten fools; a man’s a prodigy.” 

Dry, Od. 

FOP.—An idle, silly character, who ad¬ 
mires and thinks only of himself, and whose 
favorite piece of furniture is a looking-glass. 


64 


DICTIONARY FOR 


FOREFATHERS.—These are great ob¬ 
jects of pride and parade to individuals ; 
though some of the nobility of the present 
day would be puzzled to find a grandfather. 

FORGET.—Remember to forget all dis¬ 
agreeable people, and all disagreeable things. 

FORMALITY.—Most happily exploded. 

FORWARDNESS.—We find no lack of 
this in the rising generation. 

FORTUNE.—A fickle jade upon whose 
favors every man thinks he has a claim; for 
he finds every thing in himself that merits re¬ 
ward, and nothing that deserves mortification ; 
and should she pass him by, he consoles him¬ 
self by attributing her neglect of his worth to 
blindness . 

FRANKNESS.—A virtue when regulated 
by prudence, but an excess of frankness be¬ 
comes extreme rudeness. 


To FRENCHIFY.—You must be ex- 


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65 


tremely au fait at this, or you will be quite 
overlooked in the world of fashion. 

FRIEND.—The wicked, have only their 
accomplices; the voluptuous, their compa¬ 
nions in debauchery; the interested, their 
associates. Politicians, assemble the factious 
around them ; the generality of idle men have 
their connexions. Princes their courtiers and 
flatterers;—the man of virtue alone a friend. 
“ Without a friend, the world is but a wilder¬ 
ness/ 7 

FRIENDSHIP. — A true, sincere, and 
disinterested friendship, is the most delightful, 
happy possession we can have. Cicero said 
that it was no less an evil to be without a 
friend, than to have the heavens without a 
sun. 

FROLIC.—A practical joke, from which 
very serious ills often arise. 

FRUSTRATE.—To frustrate the plans 
of others, is with many people a very desirable 
and meritorious object. 


66 


DICTIONARY FOR 


G. 

To GAIN.—To obtain an advantage. The 
true and invariable design of every man’s ac¬ 
tions. 

GAMESTER.—A man who is led away 
by a fatal passion, the result, of which is 
misery and ruin. Love of play, overturns 
every good feeling, it destroys all distinctions 
of rank and sex. The prince forgets his dig¬ 
nity, the woman her modesty; all ambition of 
excellence is gone, that of fraud only re¬ 
mains. 

“ Can aught so rich a crop of vices yield ; 

Can aught to av’rice ope so fair a field ; 

As baneful lust of play?” 


GASCONADE.—To boast, to bluster. 
The French attribute this to the Gascons: 
the rest of the world think all the French are 
Gascons. 


GAY.—To be cheerful and merry, which 


THE FASHIONABLE WORLD. 67 

is natural to youth and innocence; and to wit¬ 
ness it, enlivens those advanced in life: there 
are few of the most serious who have not at 
times felt, 

" Dulce est desipere in locoH or. 

and the envious and ill-humoured alone find 
their gravity increased, by the gaiety of youth, 

GENEALOGIST.—A most accommo¬ 
dating gentleman, who for a little money will 
prove that you descend from Noah. 

GENEROSITY.—One of the finest qua¬ 
lities of the soul: but it requires judgment, 
reflection, and a noble sacrifice of self. 

GENIUS.—Let no young artist seek to 
know what genius is: if he have it, he is well 
aware of it; if he have it not, he will never 
know it. According to Sir Joshua Reynolds, 
“ Genius is supposed to be a power of pro¬ 
ducing excellencies which are out of the rules 
of art; a power which no precepts can teach, 
and which no industry can acquire.” 

GESTICULATION.—The French are 


6 S 


DICTIONARY FOR 


the people who understand and make them¬ 
selves most perfect in this art. No monkey 
can display more an tick tricks than a French¬ 
man ; and we might frequently suppose that 
a French lover relied more upon his power of 
gesticulation for the attainment of his wishes, 
than even upon les petites distractions (lies) 
he so fluently pours into the ears of his mis¬ 
tress. 

GENTLEMAN.—A perfect gentleman, 
a great rarity; as many a prince and nobleman 
has not an atom of the gentleman about him : 
indeed it is become so very old-fashioned to 
be like a gentleman , that all possible pains 
are taken in dress, and manner, to prevent 
any appearance which could lead you to sup¬ 
pose a man any thing beyond a coachman , a 
groom , or that greatest of all characters, a 
pugilist . 

GIDDINESS.—-An excuse seized by 
youth for every fault they commit; though 
some people imagine that giddiness itself is 
no small one . 


GIGGLER.—An idle, foolish, tittering 


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69 


girl. The most vulgar, unpleasant thing to 
be met with in society. 

To GILD.—Means by which many dis¬ 
agreeable things are made to appear desir¬ 
able : a gilded snare entraps the young and 
thoughtless, and often involves them in unex¬ 
pected difficulties. 

To GIVE .— u On ne donne rien si lib6rale- 
ment que les conseils,” says Rouchefoucault. 

GLASS.—An artificial substance. A look¬ 
ing-glass, a mirror, which shews forms by re¬ 
flection—always impartial and true; it pre¬ 
sents to the eyes of the spectator with equal 
nicety, the roses of youth, and the wrinkles of 
age ; it neither diminishes beauty, nor increases 
defects, yet Vamour propre often leads us to 
doubt the correctness of its representation. 

GOLD.—A yellow coloured metal, which 
causes mischief and every sort of misery. 

" Gold! yellow, glitfring, precious gold! 

Gold! that will make black white; foul, fair; 

Wrong, right; base, noble; and the coward valiant.” 

Shakspeabe. 


70 


DICTIONARY FOR 


GOOD FAITH. — A contraband article 
in society, and above all in the mercantile 
world. 

GOOD HUMOUR.—A habit of being 
easily pleased; a constant kindness of manner 
and evenness of temper. Good humour is a 
thing every one imagines within his reach; it 
neither gives nor takes offence. We all know 
it is a certain way of giving pleasure, to per¬ 
suade a person you receive pleasure from him, 
and a good-humoured man always takes care 
to be delighted . 

GOOD NATURE. — A quality which 
often exposes you to ridicule and contempt. 

GOOD SORT OF MAN.—An indivi¬ 
dual who neither thinks, says, nor does, what 
he imagines will not please those he lives with. 
His flexible mind receives all impressions, and 
retains none ; he appears to interest himself 
upon every subject, and to love every one he 
speaks to. We like a good sort of man y or at 
least ’tis generally supposed we do. 


THE FASHIONABLE WORLD. 71 

GOOSE.—An animal that struts upon two 
legs, makes a great noise, but has scarcely 
sense to rise, should he even have wings; 
there are many who have not . 

GOSSIP.—A grand resource for old maids, 
old bachelors, and all other descriptions of 
persons who have trifling minds, and want oc¬ 
cupation. 

To GOVERN.—To command; to keep 
the superiority. All wise people should do 
this, the moment they can ascertain they have 
it; and between all new married couples, this 
point, so very material and important to their 
happiness, should be settled as soon as pos¬ 
sible. 

GOVERNMENT. — A community in¬ 
trusted with the supreme authority. We have 
somewhere read that the nicest constitutions 
of government, are often like the finest pieces 
of clock-work, which, depending on so many 
motions, are consequently subject to be out of 
order . We are very certain we should not 


72 


DICTIONARY FOR 


covet the possession of a piece of clock¬ 
work, liable to be so frequently out of 
order , as we are in the habit of seeing go¬ 
vernments. 

GRACE.—Dignity and ease of manner. 
It increases beauty, and embellishes plainness 
so as to make us forget it. 

GRADATION. — A regular, gradual 
method of sliding into a situation, which if 
pounced upon at once would astonish the 
world. A means of arriving at the summit of 
our wishes by such imperceptible degrees as 
nearly to disarm even that monster envy; 
men’s minds are so prepared by gentle pro¬ 
gress, that we glide quietly into possession of 
the object in view. 

GRAMMARIAN.—A species of pedant, 
whose head is a vast repository of words 
without ideas. An honest, quiet man who 
passes his life between substantives and adjec¬ 
tives ; an occupation which cramps the mind, 
and narrows the imagination. 


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73 


GRANDEUR (political ),—Synonymous 
with moral littleness. 

GRATITUDE.—The memory of the 
heart, which reminds us of benefits received, 
and disposes us to acknowledge them. 

GRAVITY.—A seriousness, often affect¬ 
ed by weak people to give them an air of im¬ 
portance. 

“ Eh! qui ne connait point la gravity des sots?” 


GREAT.—The little man is often great 
in his actions, and the great man as often 
little. 

GRUMBLER.—A person who is always 
discontented, and foretelling evil, but whom 
nobody regards. 

\ 

GUARD.—It is an old saying that three 
things are very difficult to guard,—a citadel, 
a treasure, and a woman. 

GUDGEONS.—These swarm, both in the 
Thames and on its banks. 


E 


74 


DICTIONARY FOR 


GUILT.—Crime, decided in its nature, 
but assuming different hues, according to the 
opinion of the times . 


H. 

HABIT.—This being second nature, our 
happiness or misery depends upon our choice 
of good or bad habits. 

" Quo semel est icnbuta recens, servabit odorem 
Testa diu.” Hob. 

HAND.—It is with the hand a man be¬ 
comes master of almost every thing in nature. 

HANDSOME.—The young and hand¬ 
some carry every thing before them; they 
would do well to remember, that “ Les fleurs 
du printems ne brillent pas toujours.” 

HANDSOMELY. — Dexterously. To 
do, and to give a thing in a liberal, handsome 
manner. 


Crede mihi, res est ingeniosa dare.’ 


Ovid. 




THE FASHIONABLE WORLD. 75 

HAPPINESS—Consists in the consci¬ 
ousness of duties well performed, and of re¬ 
ciprocal affections virtuously exercised, there¬ 
fore is denied to no station of life. 

u Helas! ou done chercher, ou trouver le bonheur ? 

******** 

—Nulle part tout entier, par-tout avec mesure.” 

HARANGUE.—A praise-worthy, soporific 
discourse, which is generally as difficult to 
deliver, as tedious and wearisome to attend 
to. 

HARDIHOOD.—Boldness. A want of 
that discretion which is the better part of 
valour. 

HARDSHIP.—We think every thing a 
hardship which we do not like to bear. 

HASTE.-—Precipitation. What the young 
and sprightly find it difficult to avoid, though 
they are constantly reminded of the truth of 
the good old saying, “ Most haste, worst 
speed.” 


76 


DICTIONARY FOR 


HATRED.—A malignant abhorrence and 
detestation, which no really Christian spirit 
can ever experience. 

HAUGHTINESS. — An insolent arro¬ 
gance, which leads people to imagine it is 
beneath them to exercise either good nature, 
or good manners. 

HAZARD—Has reduced many a man 
from affluence to penury. 

HEAD.—The part of the body formerly 
described as containing the organ of sensa¬ 
tion, and seat of thought; now, according to 
Messrs. Gall and Spurzheim, the seat of 
thirty-three appropriate organs. Vide Cra- 
niology. 

HEALTH.—A faint spark which may 
be extinguished by a breath, when in its most 
flourishing state; and its value seldom (if 
ever) known, till lost. 

HEARSAY.—Rumour, report which you 
hear from somebody; as convenient as the on 


THE FASHIONABLE WORLD. 77 

dit of the French, for propagating any little, 
entertaining, good-natured story of your ac¬ 
quaintance. 

HISTORY.—A word so abused, that it is 
become synonymous with fable, 

HOLLOW.—Empty; not solid. We are 
frequently not aware of the hollowness of the 
object in view; we have seen heads which 
- present a most respectable appearance, and 
which are supposed to be cram full of organs, 
as hollow and empty as a drum , and equally 
noisy. 

HOMAGE.—Obeisance paid to a supe¬ 
rior, frequently received with haughty arro¬ 
gance, and paid with contemptible servility. 

HOME.— The seat of every coinfort; 
more particularly understood by the English 
than any other nation. The French, indeed, 
have no word in their language for home . 
Nothing can convey a more just idea of the 
delight of home than an old Italian proverb :— 
“ Ad ogni uccello, il suo nido par bello.” 


78 


DICTIONARY FOR 


HOME (at). —A fashionable mode of in¬ 
vitation, and of rendering home the very 
reverse of a seat of comfort. It fills the house 
in a way to make it difficult to ascertain whe¬ 
ther the mistress really be at home or no. 
Indeed we have heard of a lady who took 
advantage of her at home , to go and pay a 
comfortable visit to a friend who expressed 
surprise at seeing her, “ Lord, my dear, my 
at home is just when I cannot be missed!” 

HONEST FELLOWS.—Those who are 
precisely of the same political opinion as your¬ 
self. You may be a bad son, a bad husband, 
a bad father; you may have outraged decency, 
have prosecuted your greatest benefactor; 
but you will not figure less in the list of 
honest fellows with those who are in, or out of 
place, provided you partake of their dislikes, 
and agree in their political affections. 

HONEST MAN.—The honest man of 
former days, would be an original in these. 

HONOR.—A singularly elastic term, ad¬ 
mitting of extension and compression accord- 


THE FASHIONABLE WORLD. 79 

ing to fashionable opinion. It is applied to 
virtue and infamy. It signifies every thing, 
and it signifies nothing. We solicit the honor 
of dying for our country; we have had the 
honor of killing our dearest friend ; we request 
the honor of seeing those who have completely 
forfeited their own honor; we have the honor 
of making an observation to a fool; we have 
the honor of addressing a pitiful wretch; and 
when we have nothing more to say, we have 
the honor to be, &c. &c. &c. “ Honor is a 

mere scutcheon.” It admits of no plural: we 
must take special care not to confound it with 
honors which have a perfectly distinct mean¬ 
ing ; so much so, that many are loaded with 
honors , who have not one atom of honor in 
their composition. The honor of men, and of 
women, it must be observed, is a plant of a 
totally different genus. The one, like the 
sun-flower, courts the noon-tide blaze; the 
other, like the humble violet, blooms in the 
quiet shade. 

HONOR (point of). —A convenient preju¬ 
dice, from whence a Poltroon need only fight 
a duel to be no longer thought one. The 


so 


DICTIONARY FOR 


assertions of a liar are believed when sustained 
at the point of the sword. 

HOPE.—This is necessary to our exist¬ 
ence. Sickness, poverty, and distress, of every 
description, would be insupportable without 
hope. 

“ Hope, with a goodly prospect, feeds the eye. 

Shews from a rising ground possession nigh ; 

Shortens the distance, or o'erlooks it quite. 

So easy ’tis to travel with the sight.” 

Dryden. 

HOUR.—A fraction of life. A portion of 
time which flies with the rapidity of lightning 
before those who know how to employ it; 
and drags most heavily before those who do 
nothing to fill it up. 

HUM.—A sort of dull, heavy noise. A 
buzz made by bees and insects, but which we 
sometimes find in the voice and articulation of 
human drones. 

“ Who sat the nearest, by the words o’ercome. 

Slept fast; the distant, nodded to the hum.” 

Pope- 


human.— Human nature was, is, and 


THE FASHIONABLE WORLD. 81 

always will be the same, u La folie est la m£re 
et la nourrice du genre humain.” 

HUMANITY.—Benevolence, the passion 
of a generous mind. A word which all men 
make very free with, though few appear to 
understand its real value. 

HUMILIATION.—A mortification and 
wound which rankles in the mind after pardon, 
and which pride never suffers us to forget. 

HUMORIST.—One who has odd fancies 
and conceits, very careful in studying his own 
gratification, loves to puzzle and set others by 
the ears, that he may have the pleasure of 
lashing them with his wit and humor to the 
great amusement of all his good-natured ac¬ 
quaintance. 

HUMORSOME.—An epithet generally 
given to persons of a teazing, tiresome temper, 
who have the misfortune of seeing faults in all 
around them, and whose chief business is, to 
irritate and provoke those in their own family, 
and to quarrel w ith human nature in general. 


82 


DICTIONARY FOR 


HYPOCRISY.—A homage which vice 
pays to virtue. A vice in itself more despi¬ 
cable than crime. 

“ For neither ruan nor angel can discern 
Hypocrisy, the only evil that walks 
invisible, except to God alone. 

By his permissive will, through heav’n and earth; 

And oft though wisdom wake, suspicion sleeps 
At wisdom’s gate, and to simplicity 
Resigns her charge, while goodness thinks no ill 
Where no ill seems.” 

Milton. 


I. 

IDEAL.—What is ideal must always be 
delightful, because we are sure to beautify 
and magnify what springs from our own im¬ 
agination. 


IDEAS (liberality of ),—A virtue seldom 
met with. 

IGNORANCE.—There are three sorts of 
ignorance:—First, knowing nothing. Se- 




THE FASHIONABLE WORLD. 


83 


condly, being extremely deficient in what you 
do know. And lastly, that of knowing every 
thing except what you should know. Igno¬ 
rance of every kind is a continuation of child¬ 
hood without its charms. 

ILLUSTRIOUS. — Conspicuous. We 
may be illustrious for great and good acts ; 
we may be the same for dark and wicked 
ones, and each may lead to illustrious titles. 

“ Of every nation, each illustrious name. 

Such toys as those have cheated into fame.” 

Dryden. 

IMAGINATION—Has a prodigious 
faculty of painting things in the desired light. 
It also shortens or lengthens disease, in a most 
surprising manner. It makes your children 
prodigies of wit and learning, likewise of an 
astonishing growth: has the power of in¬ 
creasing or diminishing your own size , and 
even of raising or depressing your spirits. 

“ L’imagination, rapide passagere, 

Effleure les objets dans sa course legere,; 

Et bientot, rassemblant tous ses tableaux divers, 

Dans les plis du cerveau, reproduit l’univers.” 


84 


DICTIONARY FOR 


IMITATION — Brings a man nearly 
upon a par with an ape. 


“ O imitatores servura pecus! ” 


Hor. 


IMPARTIALITY.—A necessary quality 
for a good judge and a good historian; one a 
journalist never yet possessed, though he con¬ 
stantly professes it. 

IMPERFECT.—Our manners, our laws, 
our habits, our ideas, our sentiments, are all 
as imperfect as ourselves: man sees perfec¬ 
tion at a distance the chimerical goal he talks 
of, and flatters himself he shall reach, but a 
natural perversity impedes his course, and pre¬ 
vents his arrival. 

IMPORT ANCE.—A consequential, weak 
character, with more of ridicule than vice in 
it. It is punished more severely by being 
overlooked, than by any censure cast upon it. 

IMPORTUNITY.—The means by which 
a man sometimes succeeds in gaining the af¬ 
fections of a woman, though he have neither 


THE FASHIONABLE WORLD. 85 

amiability of manners, riches, nor youth to re¬ 
commend him. We always end in giving to 
an importunate beggar, is an old Spanish pro¬ 
verb we often see verified. 

IMPOSITION.—Statesmen and ministers 
understand this art, better than any other sort 
of people. 

IMPOSTOR.—A villain of the first order, 
made up of hypocrisy and impudence. 

INCLINATION.—What we all like to 
follow. 

To INCOMMODE.—Few are aware of 
doing this, mais “ on incommode souvent les 
antres, quand on croit ne les pouvoir jamais 
incommoder.” 

INCONSISTENCY. — What we meet 
with every day, in almost every rank and de¬ 
scription of persons ; for there are few whose 
actions and opinions, if recorded, would not 
present a list of inconsistencies and contradic¬ 
tions. 


86 


DICTIONARY FOR 


INCONSTANCY.—Unsteadiness of af¬ 
fection. Too common in the present times 
to be thought of. Indeed Rochefoucault says, 
“ Comme on n’est jamais en liberty d’aimer, 
ou de cesser d’aimer, Famant ne peut pas se 
plaindre avec justice de Finconstance de sa 
maitresse, ni elle, de la l<jg£ret6 de son 
amant.” 

INCORRUPTIBILITY.—One of the 
rarest qualities to be found in these days. 

INDEPENDENT.—Not depending on 
another. A free and happy independence is 
the most comfortable state a man can live in. 

“ Mitte superba pati fastidia, spemque caducam 
Despice; vive tibi, nam moriere tibi ” 

Sen. 

INDIFFERENCE — Arises generally 
from stupidity, which prevents our being in¬ 
terested in any thing that is passing. 

INDIGNITY.—An insult. A dart from 
malice, which never wounds, unless it strikes 
where merited. 


THE FASHIONABLE WORLD. 87 

INDISCRETION.—A fault of judgment, 
which creates mischief, and produces misery 
in whole families, without the most distant in¬ 
tention of injuring any one. 

INDIVIDUAL.—One whose merit ranks 
according to the situation he is in ; but whose 
value is little or nothing, if he have neither 
birth nor riches to boast of. 

INDOLENT.—The greatest care of an 
indolent man, is to have nothing to do. 

“ 11 donne a l’oubl6 le pass6, 

Le present a l’indifF^rence ; 

Et, pour vivre d^barrasse, 

L’avenir a la Providence.” 

INDULGENT.—To be indulgent, is to 
judge others with kindness and liberality; what 
we should much more frequently witness than 
we do, if we were aware of the great indul¬ 
gence we ourselves require. Authors of al¬ 
most every description have a claim upon the 
indulgence of their readers, which they rarely 
meet w ith, either from those who do, or those 
who do not understand their w'orks. Such is 


38 


DICTIONARY FOR 


the perversity of human nature, that indulgence 
to children is what we are most liberal of, 
which causes an infinity of mischief, rendering 
them discontented and miserable in them¬ 
selves, and a plague and torment to those they 
are with. 

INGRATITUDE.— 

-Base Ingratitude 

Is such a sin to friendship, as Heaven’s mercy, 

That strives with man’s untoward, monstrous wickedness, 
Unwearied with forgiving, scarce can pardon.” 

Rowe’s Fair Penitent. 

“ If thou hast the brow to endure the name 
of traitor, perjurer, or oppressor, yet cover thy 
face when ingratitude is thrown at thee.” 

INJURY. — The greatest is that which 
strikes at our good name. 

** Who steals my purse, steals trash, 'tis something, 
nothing;— 

’Twas mine, ’tis his, and has been slave to thousands; 

But he that filches from me my good name, 

Robs me of that, which not enriches him, 

And makes me poor indeed.” 

Shakspearb. 


INNOCENCE. — Conscious innocence 



THE FASHIONABLE WORLD. 


89 


speaks comfort to the heart, and enables us 
to bear unmoved all the contumely of an ill- 
natured world. 

“ There is no courage but in Innocence; 

No constancy, but in an honest cause.” 

INSTABILITY.—A fickle mutability of 
conduct, which lessens the respectability of 
any character. In a man who has a family 
dependent upon him, it very nearly becomes a 
sin, as the mischief then done by it, is not to be 
calculated. 

INSTRUCTION.—Necessary to make a 
man a useful member of society. To encou¬ 
rage it, is a debt society owes to the world, 
and one of the first duties of a government is 
to have it disseminated. It is one of the most 
troublesome of all occupations; we should, 
therefore, honor the instructor of ability. 

INSULT.—A contemptuous, scornful act, 
which we feel it much more difficult to over¬ 
look and forgive than a serious injury. 


INTEMPERANCE.—A want of mode- 


90 


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ration, which, when indulged in, becomes a 
vice that leads to certain destruction. 

“ Some, as thou saw’st, by violent stroke shall die. 

By fire, flood, famine, by intemperance more 

In meats and drinks, which on the earth shall bring 

Diseases dire, of which a monstrous crew 

Before thee shall appear; that thou mayst know 

What misery the inabstinence of Eve 

Shall bring on men.” Milton. 

INTEREST. — An indefatigable demon 
which disturbs all minds, and directs all ac¬ 
tions ; a prevailing influence; a principle 
which rules three parts of mankind, and gene¬ 
rally has self in view. 

*' All seek their ends, and each would other cheat; 

They only seem to hate, and seem to love; 

But interest is the point on which they move; 

Their friends are foes, and foes are friends again. 

And in their turns are knaves, and honest men. 

Our iron age is grown an age of gold; 

’Tis who bids most ? for all men would be sold.” 

And Rochefoucault says on this subject: 

" Les vertus se perdent dans l’interet, 

Comme les fleuves se perdent dans la mer.” 


INTRIGUE.—A business chiefly carried 
on by courtiers. 


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INVENTIONS. — Old things, by new 
names . 

IRRATIONAL.—Taking your morning 
ride at three o’clock in the afternoon; and 
your dinner at eight and nine o’clock at night. 


J. 

JEALOUSY.—A disease of a most ma¬ 
lignant nature, arising from mistrust in the 
affections of those you love. ’Tis a “ green- 
eyed monster” which undermines our happi¬ 
ness, and changes the aspect of all around us. 

“ O Jealousy! thou bane of pleasing friendship, 

Thou worst invader of our tender bosoms; 

How does thy rancour poison all our sweetness. 

And turn our gentle nature into bitterness.” 

JESTER.—A man, given to merriment 
and pranks; “ notable rogues” who are yet 
cherished at court, though not retained as 
licenced scoffers, since the days of Charles the 
First. 




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JOB.—A low, mean, petty piece of chance 
work. A lucrative job, our greatest statesmen 
snap at with avidity ; and have been known in 
our days, to shut their eyes and ears to all in¬ 
telligence which could stop their progress, 
when on the point of embarkation for a dis¬ 
tant country, at the expense of the public. 

** No cheek is known to blush* no heart to throb. 

Save when they lose a question or a Job” 


JOURNAL.—A memorandum book for 
the assistance of those who have a short me¬ 
mory. W e have heard of a Frenchman who 
frequently travelled from Paris to Lyons writ¬ 
ing one day in his memorandum book, t{ Me 
souvenir de me marier en passant par Nevers.” 

JOY.—Gladness. “ Joy is a delight of the 
mind, from consideration of the present, or 
assured approaching possession of a good.” 
Youth is the cheerful age which admits this 
happy exultation of the heart in its most per¬ 
fect state, but we are soon, alas! taught to 
feel, it comes checkered and diversified with 
sorrow': quickly we find 


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u How all our joys are set in toils of woe j 
As after darkness, light the brighter shews; 

So from our sorrows all our joys increase.” 

JUDGMENT.—The power of distin¬ 
guishing what is right, and what is wrong; and 
though very few agree in their judgments, 
each believes his own to be correct. “ Tout 
le monde se plaint de sa memoire, et personne 
ne se plaint de son jugement.” (Rochefou.) 

JUGGLERS.—A set of cheating mounte¬ 
banks who amuse the populace with their tricks, 
slight of hand, and deceptions. But all jug¬ 
glers do not confine themselves to this low 
walk, as the greatest and most expert in the 
business, contrive to jumble themselves into 
administration, and succeed famously by their 
" juggles of state, to cozen the people into 
obedience.” 

JUST.—Upright. To be exact and rigor¬ 
ous in all engagements. A virtue of old 
times, which, like other antiquities, is now 
considered a great rarity . 

“-Sanctus haberi 

Promissique tenax dictis factisque mereris ? 

Agnosco procerem.” J u v. 



94 


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JUSTICE.—All the world have a profound 
love of justice; the greater part from a lively 
apprehension of suffering from injustice. 

JUSTIFIABLE.—In these days of en¬ 
lightened liberality, there are few acts of folly 
or wickedness which are not considered justi¬ 
fiable by the fashionable world. 


K. 

KINDRED.—Those with whom we claim 
affinity and relationship, from whom nature 
leads us to expect affection and kindness; 
wffiich expectation is not always answered. 

KITCHEN.—A place for cooks and cook- 
maids to dress victuals in. We have heard of 
our ancestors retiring to the kitchen, to smoke 
their pipes, and enjoy their ale and toast. In 
these days we are told that even royalty has 
condescended to eat and drink in a kitchen . 
What good nature in princes ! 




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KNAVE.—A dishonest cheat, who will go 
any length short of what might bring him to 
the gallows. Yet most men would rather be 
thought knaves than fools. 

KNIGHTHOOD. — A common, cheap 
dignity, bestowed upon persons of every de¬ 
scription, and become so general, that you can 
go no where without stumbling upon people 
“ stuck o’er with titles, and hung round with 
strings.” 

KNOWING.—A knowing person, is by 
no means one who is overstocked with know¬ 
ledge. To understand the proper tie of your 
neck-cloth, and cut of your coat, to drive a 
tandem, and to bet with judgment at a race, is 
quite sufficient to rank you with the knowing 
ones . 


L. 

LABYRINTHS.—Inextricable windings. 
There are some, who find themselves engaged 




96 


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in labyrinths, from which they never get out, or 
get out with irreparable injury to their charac¬ 
ters and purses.— Vide Courts of Law. 

LAZINESS.—A sin which reverts upon 
ourselves; for the most laborious, nay even 
hazardous occupation, is happier and more 
conducive to health, than idleness and sloth. 
Ease is the utmost which a person who spends 
half the day in bed, and when up, leads a 
torpid, inactive life, can obtain ; and allowing 
that this dull, insipid ease makes his happiness, 
it will not, cannot last; as action both of body 
and mind, is absolutely necessary to the pre¬ 
servation of health and spirits. 

LEECH. — A little creature found in 
waters, which sucks the blood of animals. 
Physicians were formerly called leeches; aris¬ 
ing, we suppose, from their propensity of 
sticking to their patients; this appellation is 
discontinued, perhaps, from this said propen¬ 
sity spreading to other ranks of life. We find 
nearly all who have places 

“ Sticking like leeches, till they burst with blood, 
Without remorse insatiably.” 


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97 


LETTER (anonymous ),—A cowardly stab 
at a character in the dark. We always read 
them with disgust and aversion, but we do 
read them; and it often ends in creating a de¬ 
gree of mistrust in the breasts of those who 
scorn and condemn them most. “ La ca- 
lomnie, docteur la calomnie, il en reste tou- 
jours quelque chose.” 

LEVITY.— A lightness of character, which 
renders you amusing to some societies, and a 
perfect nuisance to others. It sometimes 
much too nearly approaches vice, to be tole¬ 
rated by virtue. 

LIAR.—A character so universally de¬ 
spised, that We should expect to find lying a 
vice generally avoided, but, alas ! it is far other¬ 
wise ; as in spite of the disgrace which the de¬ 
tection must bring upon the propagator of a 
lie, we cannot mix in any society without 
finding disseminators of falsehood, of one sort 
or other; many there are, who indulge in fic¬ 
tion, without the smallest wish or intention of 
injuring others, or the remotest chance of 
profit to themselves; and are shocked and 


F 


98 


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surprised to discover the mischief arising from 
it, as great as from the most malignant lie that 
could have been uttered. 

LIFE.—The space of time between com¬ 
ing into the world, and going out of it. 

" Tomorrow, tomorrow, and to-morrow ? 

Creep in a stealing pace from day to day. 

To the last minute of revolving time; 

And all our yesterdays have lighted fools 

To their eternal homes. 

life’s but a walking shadow; a poor player. 

That frets, and struts his hour upon a stage; 

And then is heard no more. It is a tale 
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, 

Signifying nothing.” 

Shakspeare. 

LOOK.—Cast of the countenance, by no 
means to be depended upon. 

" Whom would not that majestic mien deceive? 

And his friend’s godlike eyes that look divinity ? 

Why should the sacred character of virtue 
Shine on a villain s countenance ? ye powers! 

Why fix’d you not a brand on treason’s front ? 

That we might know t’avoid perfidious mortals.” 


LOQUACIOUS.— Having a great delight 
in talking, which leads you into a love of re- 


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pealing many little scandalizing anecdotes for 
the amusement of your acquaintance. 

“ Still to be tattling, still to prate. 

No luxury in life so great.” 

LOUD.—Noisy; a qualification which al¬ 
ways renders you an unpleasant companion. 

“ The numbers soft and clear 
Gently steal upon the ear.” 


LOVE.—A privilege for all the absurdities 
that can be committed, and all the nonsense 
that can be talked. 

LOVE (self )—Seeks only its own good, 
fears only its own misfortunes. 

LUCK.—A precious word to the ignorant, 
for all events of which they understand not 
the cause. Many of whom most confidently 
attribute their success or failure, to their good 
or ill luck . 

LUXURY. — Luxury and indigence, a 
whimsical but not unfrequent alliance on the 


100 


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continent, though seldom met with in Eng¬ 
land. The Italians say of a man who drives 
about in his carriage without the means of 
procuring a dinner—“ Tira la carozza coi 
denti.” 


M. 

MAGNETISM.—A remedy for every 
complaint. There is only one little difficulty 
attending its adoption and success, that of 
being quite certain of its existence : as with¬ 
out a superabundant faith in its virtues, it has 
never been known to produce any effect. 

To MAGNIFY.—A most extremely happy 
quality, for we exalt and extol every common¬ 
place person, and thing, we meet with, and 
are sure to be satisfied with our own posses¬ 
sions. <e The greatest magnifying glasses in 
the world are a man’s eyes, when they look 
upon his own person.” Pope. 




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101 


MAN.— 

“ Man is but man, inconstant still and various : 

There’s no to-morrow in him, like to-day 
Perhaps, the atoms whirling in his brain. 

Make him think honestly this present hour; 

The next, a swarm of base. Ungrateful thoughts 
May mount aloft- 

Who would trust chance, since all men have the seeds 
Of good or ill, which should work upward first.” 

Dryden. 

MANAGE.—There are few persons, or 
things, which may not be managed, if we take 
the right way. 

To MASK.—To disguise, at which many 
are au fait. The woman who paints, ancf 
makes herself up in various ways ; the minister 
who gives an account of his own administra¬ 
tion ; the author who talks of his disinterested¬ 
ness and veracity; the journalist who speaks 
of his impartiality; the conqueror who holds 
forth upon his pacific views; and the despotic 
prince who declaims upon the subject of con¬ 
stitutional liberty;—all have recourse to this 
petty art! 

MASQUERADE.—A fashionable amuse¬ 
ment, where propriety of dress or speech is 


102 


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not requisite. A masquerade was given at 
Paris in 1818, by a lady of rank, ( n °t a French¬ 
woman). One of her relatives was habited 
(not dressed) as Diana; where covering was 
indispensable, flesh-coloured silk was the ma¬ 
terial employed, and it was universally agreed 
that no Diana ever was less dressed. In the 
course of the evening the noble hostess was 
going about the rooms saying, “ J'ai perdu ma 
niece , ou est done ma nieceV 9 Monsieur, who 
was standing near her at the time, replied— 
“ Elle est peut-&tre all6e s’habiller!!!” 

MASTER.—A part a man is very fond of 
playing, and is very jealous of not being 
thought to succeed in. 

MEDICINE.—A variety of poisons, which 
sometimes kill, sometimes cure. 

MEMORY.—A very imperfect thing with 
the great. 

MENACE.—Generally the resource of a 
cowardly poltroon. The bold and honourable 
act, but never menace. 


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103 


MENDICANT.—A beggar. The meanest 
is not the man who asks you for bread, but 
the one, who crouches and fawns to obtain a 
ribbon, a place, or even a look, from a minister 
or great man. Many of the begging fra¬ 
ternity would scorn “ the cringing knave who 
seeks a place.” 

MERIT.—A thing of which we are prone 
to arrogate to ourselves a much larger share 
than we really possess. We find the appear¬ 
ance of merit more frequently recompensed 
by the world, than the reality; as the former 
pushes forward, loudly calling for admiration, 
whilst the latter is ever attended by a retiring 
modesty, which shrinks from the public 
gaze. 

METAPHOR.—Understood to perfection 
by all lawyers, and in both Houses of Parlia¬ 
ment. 

MIMICKRY.—A burlesque imitation of 
another, to excite laughter. Apes and mon¬ 
keys excel the cleverest of the human species 
in this art. 


104 


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MINISTER (of state ).—We have some¬ 
where seen a minister likened to a large pike 
in a pond, which feeds upon the other fish, 
and is the only one that grows fat . 

MISCHIEF-MAKING.—A work always 
carried on in the world with activity and per¬ 
severance. 

MISCONDUCT.—Misconduct is most 
good-naturedly overlooked by the fashionable 
world^but there are moments when a little im¬ 
pertinent, troublesome monitor within, resists 
all our endeavours to silence him, and succeeds 
in rendering us unhappy. “ Happiness, though 
often crossed by misfortune, is more frequently 
destroyed by misconduct.” Prior. 

MISER.—A covetous wretch whose gold 
is his god. 

“ At midnight thus the usurer steals untrack’d. 

To make a visit to his hoarded gold, 

And feasts his eyes upon the shining mammon.” 

MISTRESS. {Oldprov. The Grey Mare , 
<SfC.) —A sensible wife will never allow the 


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105 


world to think she is mistress, however the 
fact may be. 

MOB.—A tumultuous rabble ready to be 
led on by any desperate, hot-headed man. 

“ Look, as 1 blow this feather from my face, 

And as the air blows it to me again; 

Obeying with my wind, when I do blow, 

And yielding to another when it blows; 

Commanded always by the greater gust; 

Such is the lightness of you common men.” 

Shakspeare. 

MODE.— Custom. There are certain 
garbs and modes of speaking, which vary with 
the times; the fashion of our clothes being 
not more subject to alteration than that of our 
speech. 

MORROW.—The wise will use the pre¬ 
sent hour, and defer nothing till the morrow 
which can be done to day. The example of 
every succeeding day, enforces on the mind 
the uncertainty of our seeing a to-morrow. 

“ To*morrow comes; ’tis noon; ’tis night; 

This day like all the former flies; 

Yet on he runs to seek delight 
To-morrow, till to-night he dies.” 

F 5 


106 


DICTIONARY FOR 


MUNIFICENCE.—We fear this much 
admired popular quality frequently springs 
from the vanity of giving, in a grand style, and 
having our names blazoned forth to the 
world. 

“ While along the stream of time thy name 
Expanded flies, and gathers all its fame.” 


MUSIC.—A delightful science. There are 
few who do not feel the charms of music. 

“ For Orpheus’ lute could soften steel and stone. 

Make tigers tame, and huge leviathans 
Forsake unsounded deeps, and dance on sands.” 

Shakspeare, 


MYSELF.—A personage of whom we 
have always the highest possible opinion. 

MYSTERIOUS.—Awfully obscure; what 
numbers delight in being, but only excusable 
in romance writers. 

“ I could a tale unfold, whose lightest word 
Would harrow up the soul. 


Shakspeare. 


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107 


N. 

NATIONAL—To be bigotted to one's 
own country. The Scotch, and the Swiss, 
feel this in a greater degree than other na¬ 
tions ; yet are more prone to quit their own 
country (from mercenary motives) than any 
other people. 

NATURALIST. — One who cares for 
little, excepting plants and insects . 

“-Is it meet- 

This creature’s name should one so sounding be ? 

’Tis but a fly, though first-bora of the spring— 
Bombylius majus, dost thou call the thing ? 
******* 

Methinks the creature should be proud to find 
That he employs the talents of mankind; 

And that his sovereign master shrewdly looks, 

Counts all his parts, and puts them in his books.” 

Crabbe. 

NATURE.—Every one defines nature his 
own way, and it answers to every thing, in 
every way; it is a cause, an effect, a place, a 
situation, an instinct, a duty, a sentiment, and 



108 


DICTIONARY FOR 


often an absurdity. People rival each other 
in their praise of nature ; ladies of the fashion¬ 
able world are enthusiastic lovers of nature , 
as they find it at the opera , or in a ball-room. 
It shines resplendent in arts. A painter, a 
sculptor, tells you his figures are nature’s self. 
The poets invoke nature every moment, and 
every one knows, that authors are hand in 
hand with nature. Yet there are some weak 
mortals who imagine nature only to be found 
where they could sit. 

“-Beneath the shade 

Of solemn oaks, that tuft the swelling mounts 
Thrown graceful round by Nature’s careless hand, 

And pensive listen to the various voice 
Of ruling peace : the herds, the flocks, the birds, 

The holiow-whisp’ring breeze, the plaint of rills. 

That purling down amid the twisted roots 
Which creep around, their dewy murmurs shake 
On the sooth’d ear.” Thomson. 

NECESSARY.—Every thing we see and 
like. 

NECKCLOTH.— A part of a man’s 
dress ; the tie of which is in these days of so 
much consequence , that it is become a study! 



THE FASHIONABLE WORLD. 109 

A good-natured author, in 1818, published a 
book to assist these praise-worthy students of 
the collar . Could our ancestors peep at us, 
how astonished would they be, since their ig¬ 
norance upon this momentous subject was 
such, that it was supposed to be one of the 
accomplishments of a wife . 

“ Will she with hus-wife’s hand provide thy meat, 

And ev’ry Sunday morn thy neckcloth plait?” 

Gay. 

NEGOTIATION.—A business carried 
on in the political, as well as the mercantile 
world, by an exchange of tricks, stratagems, 
and impostures. 

NEIGHBOURS. — Good neighbours in 
the country, are a set of people who being 
unable to fill up their own time, kindly wish 
to occupy that of some acquaintance in their 
vicinity, who may unfortunately be inclined to 
consider it a valuable possession. 

NEWSPAPER.—A daily history of the 
stupidity, folly, and vices, of human nature. 


110 


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A journal of scandal and lies, which all ranks 
and ages delight in reading. 

NIGHT.— 

" This dead of night, this silent hour of darkness. 

Nature for rest ordained and soft repose.” 

Rowe. 

Whatever nature might have ordained, man 
has taken care to reverse her decrees in this, 
as in many other instances; for in these our 
days, we should find it difficult to point out 
what portion of the twenty-four hours to call 
night, as described above, when we read in 
daily journals, of dinners to be given to the 
great, which cannot end much before mid¬ 
night, and that “ in the evening an assembly 
will be held.” We must feel convinced, that 
there is not one hour out of the twenty-four 
when we could say— 

“ Now all is hush’d as nature were retired. 

And the perpetual motion standing still.” 

Otway. 

NOBILITY.—If the stamp of nobility 
were according to the motto of the Grosvenor 


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Ill 


family —“ Nobilitatis virtus non stemma cha¬ 
racter,” the peerage would, indeed, become a 
very diminutive, convenient pocket volume. 

NOBODY.—A most mischievous busy¬ 
body in every body's house, though he never is 
to be seen. 

NOISE.—To many who are puffed up 
by a great situation, with little or no talent, 
we may apply the old French proverb, “ 11 
fait plus de bruit que de besogne 

NOTHING.—A nonentity; from whence 
many titled and rich personages have in these 
days sprung. 

NOVELTY.—A great charm to the world 
in general. 


Dulcique aniraos novitate tenebo.’ 


Ovid. 


112 


DICTIONARY FOR 


o. 

OBEY.—To obey; the thing most neces¬ 
sary to be understood in order to command 
well. 

OBLIGATION.—Nothing varies more 
in the estimation of people than an obligation. 
The cold, unfeeling man, thinks any obligation 
easily repaid. The one of acute sensibility 
runs into the other extreme, and imagines he 
never can repay it. The honest, generous 
heart alone feels there can be no obligation; 
for he places himself in the opposite situation, 
and says, (< Just so should I have done.” 

OBLIGING.—Some who are called oblig¬ 
ing people , are mighty disagreeable. 

“ Obliging creatures! make me see 
All that disgrac’d my betters, met in me.” 

Pope. 


OBLIVION.—The act of effacing from 
our memory the impression of things passed. 


THE FASHIONABLE WORLD. 113 

“ Time hath, my lord, a wallet at his back, 
wherein he puts alms for oblivion, a great 
siz’d monster of ingratitude.” Shaks. 

OBSCURITY.— Darkness in composi¬ 
tion ; an ambiguity all authors, both in prose 
and verse, would do well to study, as what is 
beyond our powers of intellect, must be ex¬ 
tremely fine and grand:— 

“ Omne ignotum pro magnifico.” 

And many buy a book, with the hope of being 
supposed to understand it, 

OCCASION.—Those who know well 
when to seize it, are most fortunate:—Car 
“ Toutes nos qualit6s sont incertaines, et 
douteuses, en bien, comme en mal, et elles 
sont presque toutes & la merci des occa¬ 
sions.” Rochefoucault. 

OCCUPATION.—An indispensable re¬ 
source. Nature, has made it necessary; so¬ 
ciety, has rendered it a duty; and custom, has 
made it a pleasure. 


114 


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ODE.—The English pay a man a pension 
for making a few pretty verses, called an ode 
upon the birth-days of their king and queen; 
and the said pension acts as a charm , as it 
will inspire the poet, and make him see those 
in the most flattering point of view, whom he 
had before seen in the directly opposite light. 

OFFERS (of service ).—A current coin, 
which we distribute most liberally without the 
smallest injury to our fortunes. 

OFFICIOUS.—A part acted by a mighty 
agreeable sort of people, who busy themselves 
in trifles, protestations, and offers of assist¬ 
ance, till they tire us to death. 

OLD AGE.—An old lady, or an old gen¬ 
tleman, are things now most rarely to be met 
with; indeed, we believe in the fashionable 
world, all contrive to be young; at least to 
appear so, with their black or flaxen locks: 
yet we must hope there are still— 

“ Some few by temp’rance taught, approaching slow, 

To distant fate by easy journies go; 


THE FASHIONABLE WORLD. 115 

Gently they lay them down as ev’ning sheep. 

On their own woolly fleeces softly sleep, 

So noiseless would 1 live, such death to And, 

Like timely fruit not shaken by the wind; 

But ripely dropping from the sapless bough, 

And dying nothing to myself would owe.” 

Dkyden. 

OLD BACHELORS. —This is a fra¬ 
ternity who, till assailed by disease and in¬ 
firmity, make a wonderful boast of the liberty 
which belongs to their state, and delight much 
in it; but when the comforts of a home be¬ 
come the only resource, and the arrangement 
of a pillow a thing of consequence , they feel 
their forlorn state, and have the misery of re¬ 
flecting that they have only themselves to 
blame. Pope severely says— 

“ Let sinful Bachelors their woes deplore. 

Full well they merit all they feel, and more.” 

OLD MAIDS.—It has been an opinion 
that there are three distinct classes of this 
sisterhood. First, the old maid who never has 
had an opportunity of changing her station 
in life; these, are a very rare set indeed, and 
likely to be found, stiff, starch, envious, ill- 


11(5 


DICTIONARY FOR 


natured old maids . Secondly, the old maid 
who has had various offers of marriage since 
the age of seventeen or eighteen, but who had 
so high an opinion of her own accomplish¬ 
ments and merits, that she went on for ever 
refusing, in the expectation of a more deserv¬ 
ing object presenting himself, till having turn¬ 
ed the age of thirty, with many attractions 
faded— 

“ To fretful peevishness she now becomes a prey. 

Flirting, and every hope of marriage now resign’d; 

Still, though, alas! no prospect of the wedding day, 

She sighs, and casts a longing, lingering look behind 

and remains a discontented being, whose 
greatest delight is to gossip and disseminate 
tales of scandal. Thirdly, the old maid who 
not having been able to marry the man of her 
choice, could never persuade herself to accept 
another, but sits down in perfect love and 
harmony with human kind, content and happy; 
nor has the old proverb even, of being doomed 
“ to lead apes in hell,” the power to disturb 
her peace. 

OLD-FASHIONED.— Every one who 
does not run into the folly of the day. 


THE FASHIONABLE WORLD. 117 

OPENNESS.—It is a peculiar quality of 
virtue and truth, to be clear and open: from 
disguise and ambiguity we can only expect 
fraud and falsehood. 

OPINION—Reigns supreme. It has an 
irresistible power which yields to no law, but 
is interpreted according to the will of the per¬ 
son ; it unites men to one party, who immedi¬ 
ately see every thing right and reasonable on 
their own side; it justifies the conduct of in¬ 
dividuals, which reason would deem contemp¬ 
tible ; and makes us call every man honest who 
thinks as we do. 

OPINIONATIVE.—To have a stubborn, 
inflexible adherence to an opinion of your 
own: most frequently to be found where the 
understanding is weak, as it is not easy to be¬ 
lieve what is beyond our powers of compre¬ 
hension. 

OPPOSITION.—A constitutional guard, 
placed for the defence of our liberties and 
rights. 


118 


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OPPRESSION. — The amusement of 
despots. 

OPULENCE—Gives a rascal an advan¬ 
tage over an honest man, and is sometimes a 
passport to folly and vice. 

ORATION (funeral ).—A discourse which 
always represents the person gone, as a para¬ 
gon of every thing virtuous and great. The 
French say proverbially, “ Menteur, comme 
une oraison fun&bre.” 

ORCHESTRE.—Is, like a political as¬ 
sembly, composed of a set of men who are 
each, equally difficult to be kept in unison; 
with this difference, that in an orchestre our 
trouble is to make all go together; in the as¬ 
sembly, to prevent any two speaking or dis¬ 
puting at the same time. 

ORDINANCES.—The prescriptions of 
physicians; the decrees of a king. We know 
not which are the most useful, or the most 
prejudicial to man. 


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119 


ORNAMENT.— Decoration; a some¬ 
thing that embellishes, and is of the greatest 
possible use in the world— 

" The world is still deceived with ornament; 

In law, what plea so tainted and corrupt 
But being season’d with a gracious voice, 

And covered with fair specious subtilties. 

Obscures the shew of reason? In religion 
What damned error; but some sober brow 
Will bless it, and approve it with a text ? 

There is no vice so artless, but assumes 
Some mark of virtue on its outward parts. 

Hiding the grossness with fair ornament.” 

Shakspeare. 

And what the fashionable ladies and the dan¬ 
dies of the day owe to ornament , is far beyond 
our powers of calculation. 

OWN .—(My own). Human nature gene¬ 
rally runs into the two extremes, and men 
either are persuaded that every thing which is 
their own is the very best of its sort and kind 
in the whole world; or that every thing that 
belongs to another, is superior to what they 
themselves possess. The first extreme ren¬ 
ders us content and happy, the second dis¬ 
satisfied and miserable. 


120 


DICTIONARY FOR 


P. 

PANEGYRIC.—An interesting discourse, 
whose least merit is that of truth . 

To PARDON.—To excuse a person who 
has offended you. 

“ Forgiveness to the injur’d does belong. 

But they ne’er pardon who commit the wrong.” 

Dryden. 

PARSIMONIOUS.—Covetous. Those 
of this careful temper, starve to-day, from the 
dread of starving to-morrow. 

PASSION.—A determined tyrant, which 
must be either upon the throne, or in chains. 

PATIENCE.— 

“-Come what, come may. 

Patience and time, run through the roughest day.” 

Shakspeare. 

PATRIOT .— u Cacoethes loquendiall 
that is necessary to form a great patriot . 


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121 


PEACE.—Stillness from riot and confu¬ 
sion. A dully stupid state, from which the 
votaries of the gay world are happily ex¬ 
cluded. 

PEDANTIC.—Those who are puffed up 
with Greek and Latin, and whose conversation 
we frequently find as disagreeable and slovenly 
as their persons. 

PEEVISHNESS—Wears out happiness 
in a most tedious, lingering way. Trifling 
provocations and small injuries incessantly re¬ 
peated, completely destroy every comfort in 
life. 

“ At every trifle scorn to take offence, 

It always shews much pride, and little sense.” 


PEN ETRATION. — Acuteness. “ La 
penetration a un air de deviner, qui flatte plus 
notre vanite que toutes les autres qualites de 
resprit.” Rochefoucault. 

PERFECT.—Nothing in this world; yet 
this epithet would seem to apply td a vast num¬ 
ber of people, for it is impossible not to give 

G 



122 


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credit to the modest terms in which most speak 
of themselvess. 

PHILOSOPHY.—A deep knowledge of 
every thing past, present, or to come; with 
such a complete command and regulation of 
all natural feelings, as to induce us to believe 
the philosophical mind alike indifferent to the 
miseries or pleasures of life. But Rochefou- 
cault says, “ La philosophic triomphe ais6- 
ment des maux passes, et des maux a venir; 
mais les maux presents triomphent d’elle.” 

PHYSICIAN.—A man who frequently 
obtains credit for cures, due only to nature, 
accident, or the imagination of the patient. 
“ Trust not the physician; his antidotes are 
poison.” (Shakspeare.) What opinion, 
indeed, can we form of the faculty, when 
we see medicines change their fashions al¬ 
most with as much rapidity as fashionable 
ladies and gentlemen do their dress ? During 
the latter part of the reign of Louis the 
Fourteenth, Bouvard, a physician of great re¬ 
pute at Paris, was famous for his bons mots . 
The bark of the elm tree was quite the fa- 


THE FASHIONABLE WORLD. 123 

shion; they took it in powder, in decoction, 
and even mixed it in their baths. It was good 
for the nerves, good for the chest, good for the 
stomach; in short, there was no one disorder 
it was not good for! A lady whom Bouvard 
attended, asked him if he did not think she 
would do well to try it? “ Prenez madame, 
repondit-il, et depechez-vous pendant qu’elle 
guerit!!” One great advantage attends a 
physician; that of his faults being buried with 
his zictims. 

PITY.—A compassionate sympathy with 
misery, which we should hope few were with¬ 
out. 


<( -Have you put off 

All sense of human nature? keep a little, 

A little pity, to distinguish manhood! 

Lest other men, though cruel, should disclaim you, 
And judge you to be number’d with the beasts ” 

Rowe. 


To PLAGUE.—To teaze, vex, and tor¬ 
ment. An amusement to many, productive 
of exquisite pleasure. 


PLAIN. — Open, clear, downright, and 



124 


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void of ornament; a most unwelcome quality 
to the fashionable world. 

PLAUSIBLE.—Smooth tongued; learned 
in all popular arguments on either side, that 
you may always agree with your companion, 
and render yourself agreeable. 

PLEADER.—One whose business it is to 
argue in a court of justice. His discourse is 
generally prolix and tiresome, and his whole 
study to enforce the uprightness, and good¬ 
ness of the cause he pleads, and the wicked¬ 
ness and injustice of the opponent’s, without 
the smallest regard to honesty and truth. 

PLEASURE.—Delight; a gratification of 
the mind. 

“ That part of bliss is least which we receive, 

The nobler pleasure springs from what we give.” 

To PLOT—To form plans of mischief 
against those in authority. An employment 
fraught with danger to ourselves. 

“ Oh! think what anxious moments pass between 
The birth of plots, and their last fatal period! 


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1-25 


Oh! ’tis a dreadful interval of time, 

Filled up with horror all, and big with death ! 
Destruction hangs on every word we speak, 

On every thought, till the concluding stroke 
Determines all, and closes our design.” 

Addison’s Cato. 


POLITICS.—The science of government. 
Men and women are alike fond of busying 
themselves in politics, and are equally prone 
to error upon the subject. There is a muta¬ 
bility in the mind which tends to make us veer 
and turn with every wind ; and we have known 
instances of its effects upon our greatest 
statesmen, therefore consider inconsistency 
in politics, in the light of an incurable disease, 
which we have a constant dread of seeing 
break out in those we are led to think the 
most sound. 

POPULACE.— 

“ ——— The scum, 

That rises upmost when the nation boils.” 

Dryden. 


POSITIVE.—To partake of the nature of 
a mule. Vide Opiniative. 



126 


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POVERTY.—-A great crime in the eyes 
of the world; a state which requires courage 
and virtue to support, as it alw r ays subjects 
you to meet with contempt and scorn. “ La 
pauvret6 nous expose & la ris£e des sots; 
c’est peut-etre ce qu’elle a de plus insupport¬ 
able. 

PRECARIOUS. — Every thing in this 
world. 

PRECAUTION. — Most generally sy¬ 
nonymous with locking the stable-door after 
the steed is stolen. 

PRECISION.—From precise; one who 
possesses this quality puts a restraint upon 
your actions, and is a most officious, disagree¬ 
able, odious person, who can never be ac¬ 
ceptable to the fashionable world. 

PRESENT.—As applied to time; not 
past, not future. We are always convinced 
the present is worse than any period that ever 
was before, and we go grumbling on, though 
if we had any sense we should—? 


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127 

“ The present hours in present mirth employ, 

And bribe the future with the hopes of joy.” 

Prior. 


PRESENT.—A present; a gift which de¬ 
rives its value from our love and esteem for 
the donor. 

“ You gave, with words of so sweet breath composed. 

As made the things more rich.” 

Shakspeare. 


PRESENTATION (at court ).—A signal 
for plunging into every species of fashionable 
dissipation. 

PRETENSION.—Fictitious appearance. 
A most innocent illusion, as it imposes on no 
one. The pretension to high birth is the most 
ridiculous of any, though, perhaps, the least 
assuming. 

PRODIGIES.—Every first child; and if 
it fortunately remains an only one , continues 
to be a prodigy to the end of time. 

PROMISE.—A thing given by the world 
in the most generous, liberal style. 


128 DICTIONARY FOR 

PROVERBS.—Truths, confirmed by ex¬ 
perience, expressed in a simple, sometimes in 
a vulgar manner, yet quoted by persons in 
every rank of life. 

PROVIDENCE.— 

" How just is Providence in all its works? 

How swift to overtake us in our crimes ? ” 


PUBLIC.—The public always to be re¬ 
spected, when not confounded with populace 
and cabal. 

PUFFER.—A most useful, necessary in¬ 
dividual to authors and various others. 


Q. 

QUESTION.—There are those who go 
through life asking questions, and never be¬ 
coming wiser. 


QUAFF.—A favourite amusement with 
many, from a prince to a pedlar. 




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129 


QUARRELS. —The life and spirit of 
every little town and village would be lost, 
were it not for the petty broils and quarrels 
kept alive by the busy gossip of a few good - 
natured people, who have time and inclination 
to learn all that passes amongst their neigh¬ 
bours, and to make good use of it. 


QUELL.—To quell a tumult, not so easy 
a task as to raise it. 


QUIBBLE. — A slight cavil, of which 
lawyers know well how to avail themselves. 


“ I know you lawyers can, with ease. 

Twist words and meanings as you please.” 

Gay. 


QUIET.—Not known in the gay world. 

QUILL. — A small tube furnished with 
feathers, which enables the birds to fly; and 
by means of this same tube, the whole world 
may be thrown into confusion. 

QUIZ.—A description of animal, male and 
female, met with every day. 

« 5 


130 


DICTIONARY FOR 


R. 

RANK.—A degree of dignity, of which 
human nature, male and female, is wonderfully 
tenacious. 

RATIONAL. — Rational beings are so 
thinly scattered upon the earth in these days, 
that we should cherish and highly value the 
rarity when we meet with it. 

RATTING.—A fashionable term for a 
sort of weathercock gentry. These political 
rats have of late years overrun the country 
almost as much as the Hanoverian rats. The 
troublesome, impertinent monitor who would 
whisper in our ear, “ Honesta mors turpi vit& 
potior*,” is unheeded by a mind wholly occu¬ 
pied by the enchanting anticipation of the 
place and projit with which the trap is baited. 

RECANTATION.—A business in which 

* Tacitus. 


THE FASHIONABLE WORLD. 131 

legislators and rats are frequently very deeply 
engaged. 

To RECOGNISE.—To acknowledge ac¬ 
quaintance. Many who are extremely quick 
at doing this in the country, find their visual 
ray so distorted by the thick atmosphere of 
London, that the power of recognition is to¬ 
tally taken from them. We have known this 
to be the case, where there has been even a 
great degree of intimacy in the country. 

RECOLLECTION. — A word which 
begins to be in disuse. It has been displaced 
by other words, such as forgetfulness, ingrati¬ 
tude, &c. &c. 

REPUTATION. — A possession which 
appears of such trifling consequence to the 
generality of women, that they give themselves 
little or no trouble to guard it. 

RETIREMENT. — Those who are ac¬ 
customed to live in the tumult and dissipation 
of the gay world, shrink from the prospect of 


132 


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retirement, and can form no idea of the solid 
happiness there to be found. 

“ Has not old custom made this life more sweet 
Than that of painted pomp ? are not these woods 
More free from peril than the anxious court ? 

And this our life, exempt from public haunt. 

Finds tongues in trees, books in the running brooks, 
Sermons in stones, and good in every thing!” 

Shakspearf. 

REVERSE.— A contrary; an opposite. 
We have every day instances of the vicissi¬ 
tudes of life, and see one who is to day rolling 
in affluence, and surrounded by attached and 
dear friends , to-morrow (by some unforeseen 
misfortune) sunk in poverty and distress, 
and may be most thankful if they have one of 
the many dear friends left. 

“ Diligitur nemo, nisi cui Fortuna secunda est.” 

Ovid. 

RIBAND.—A fillet of silk, a sash or 
badge of royal favour, powerful in its effect; 
as we have seen a yard of blue, red, or green 
riband, or a change from one to the other, act 
like magic , and produce wonderful mutability 
in the manners and opinions of men. 


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133 


RICHES.—Wealth. All see such advan¬ 
tage in the possession of this, that they blindly 
imagine it must bring perfect felicity; it cer¬ 
tainly affords the means of gratifying every 
generous wish, and of diffusing general good. 
Yet, alas! how few of those who possess 
riches, avail themselves of this power of 
making others happy, and doing good around 
them. 

“ Abundance is a blessing to the wise; 

The use of riches in discretion lies ? 

Learn this, ye men of wealth,—a heavy purse 

In a fool’s pocket, is a heavy curse.” 


ROGUES.—A set of men to be found in 
every class. We have rogues of servants, 
rogues of lawyers, rogues of ministers, rare 
rogues, and royal rogues. 

ROMANCE.—A story or recital of im¬ 
aginary adventures: generally a love tale, in 
which probability or good sense are of little 
or no consequence. 

RUIN.—The being reduced to a state of 
beggary. We are not to imagine that this is 


134 


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attended with the smallest inconvenience; as 
we frequently see a man who announces him¬ 
self to be in this deplorable condition, living 
in every sort of luxury and extravagance.— 
Query. Have these voluptuous beggars dis¬ 
covered the philosopher’s stone ? or do they 
find that promises , seconded by a few presents 
of game and venison , answer all the purposes 
of payment with the generous tradesmen of 
the day. 

To RULE.—To control; to have power 
and authority over others, in which human 
nature delights, though generally rendered ex¬ 
tremely disagreeable by it; as those long sub¬ 
ject to command, rarely throw off the dicta¬ 
torial tone. 

" Cupido dominandi cunctis affectibus tiagrantior est.” 

Tacitus. 


s. 

SACRIFICE.—In the world, we sacrifice 
esteem for the worthy part of it to ambition; 
and our repose to celebrity. 




THE FASHIONABLE WORLD. 135 

SATIRIST. — A description of writers 
whose business it is to strike hard and lay 
aside justice. We admire their works, and 
think they abound in wit and talent, when 
they attack others; but if we become the ob¬ 
ject attacked, their writings arc a farrago of 
folly and nonsense , worthy only of contempt. 

To SCRUPLE.—A hesitating inquietude, 
which torments us when we are about to com¬ 
mit some action not decidedly bad , but which 
we know not to be good. The wisdom of the 
present age is overruling this little vulgar per¬ 
plexity with all possible expedition. 

SECRET.—A most difficult thing to keep. 
Tell it not to a fool, nor to a wise person, nor 
yet to your friend. The fool can keep nothing, 
the wise may not always be so, and the friend, 
alas ! may change. “ Comment pretendons- 
nous qu’un autre garde notre secret, si nous 
ne pouvons le garder nous-m^mes ?”— 
Rochefoucault. 

SELF.—“ Self-love, my liege, is not so 
vile a sin as self-neglecting.” (Shaks.) We 


136 


DICTIONARY FOR 


think we can answer for it, that the gene¬ 
rality of the human race are perfectly free 
from the greater of these sins; for as we see 
self the first and dearest object in most in¬ 
stances, we must conclude the attachment to 
be very great, and the neglect of such a beloved 
creature quite impossible. 

SENSIBILITY.—A most charming quick¬ 
ness of perception, and delicacy of feeling, 
which leads the possessor to gaze with inte¬ 
resting softness upon the fascinating , expres¬ 
sive glance of an eye, in which a common 
hum-drum person could discover nothing be¬ 
yond a vacant stare: and again, if wandering 
by the sea-shore, the sublimity of her feelings 
lead her to dwell on the magnificent y beautiful 
solemnity of a storm, {she sees) tossing the 
vessels from the bosom of the deep , up to the 
angry heavens! when a common-place per¬ 
son could only perceive a salutary breeze; in 
short, the real child of sensibility , finds an 
exquisite interest in every breath that blows, 
every weed that springs, and every creeping 
thing that crawls. 


THE FASHIONABLE WORLD. 137 

SILENCE.—Forbearance from speech. 
The man who knows that he knows nothing , is 
still wise if he knows how to hold his tongue. 

SINCERITY.—Freedom from hypocrisy. 
A virtue known to flourish in courts and in the 
great world . 

SLANDER.— 

“ -It is a busy talking world 

That with licentious breath blows like the wind. 

As freely on the palace, as the cottage.” 

SOCIETY.—There are few who could 
bear to live totally destitute of society, what¬ 
ever a disgust of the world, or a gloomy mind 
may lead them to imagine .—“ Celui qui croit 
pouvoir trouver en soi-meme de quoi se passer 
de tout le monde, se trompe fort; mais celui 
qui croit qu’on ne peut se passer de lui, se 
trompe encore d’avantage.— Rochefoucault, 

SOLICITOR.—Division crowns the la¬ 
bour of the solicitor, and keeps his practice 
alive; therefore his great end is, to encourage 


138 


DICTIONARY FOR 


quarrelsome persons, and goad them on till 
they entangle them in a law-suit, which the 
odds are they may never live to see ended : 
but to look to the bright side, should a man 
fortunately live to see the end of his suit, and 
gain it, he may rely upon having one half at 
least of what he contended for, swallowed 
up by the law. There is an old saying of 
“ Whoever flies to an attorney (solicitor in 
these refined days) for succour, as the sheep 
to the bushes in a storm, must expect to leave 
great part of his coat behind him.” 

SOPHIST.—A fallacious, subtle logician, 
whose aim is by reasoning to destroy rea¬ 
son. 

To STATE.—To represent the circum¬ 
stances of a case. We rarely meet with a 
statement of real facts; and we should do 
wisely whenever we are told a disagreeable, 
ill-natured tale to think of the Italian pro¬ 
verb, “ Ogni medaglio ha, il suo reverso,” 
tending to enforce on our minds, that there 
are two sides to every statement. 


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139 


STATESMEN.— 

“ Statesmen have peculiar arts ; 

They’re so mysterious, few can apprehend 
The favours they confer.” Fent. Mar. 

STOCK-JOBBER.—A good sort of man 
who speculates upon public misfortunes, who 
enriches himself and is made happy by the 
ruin and misery of others. 

STUDY.—A pleasure at every age, a re¬ 
source in every situation, and a sovereign 
remedy against all imaginary ills. 

STUPID.—Dull, wanting apprehension; 
one whose intellect does not always reach even 
the instinct of animals. 

“ Vous chercheriez en vain dans sa vaste personne 
Un petit grain de sel qui pique et 1’assaisonne ” 

STYLE.—To do a thing in style; a fa¬ 
mous varnish, under favour of which we pass 
off a thousand fooleries. 

SUCCESS.—The offspring of confidence 
and boldness; all that is extraordinary appears 


140 


DICTIONARY FOR 


great , if it happily be attended with success. 
All that is great , appears madness and folly, 
if the event be unsuccessful. 

u Had I miscarried, l had been a villain j 
For men judge actions by events: 

But when we manage by a just foresight. 

Success is prudence, and possession right.” 

SUIT (in law ),—A most tremendous 
scrape to be drawn into, as, at best, it always 
is “ Un ouvrage de longue haleine.” 

SUPERFICIAL.—An epithet applicable 
to the present mode of study in most semi¬ 
naries, male and female. 

SUPERSTITION. — The daughter of 
ignorance and mother of cruelty, who still has 
votaries in many parts of the world. 


T. 

TALENTS.—“ 11 y a de mechantes qua- 
lites qui font de grands talents,” says Roche- 




THE FASHIONABLE WORLD. 


141 


foucault; the truth of which reflection we 
daily see confirmed. 

TENDERNESS. — This word in old 
times expressed the sentiment which united 
married people; its place is now supplied by 
the words esteem, regard, &c. &c. 

TIME. — The value of this we should 
imagine to be little understood, from the ex¬ 
treme prodigality with which we see it lavish¬ 
ed ; few consider that we cannot “ take from 
Time his charters and his customary rights,” 
or that “ Time, that takes survey of all the 
world, must have a stop.” Shakspeare. 

TIMIDITY.—A want of confidence in 
ourselves. This is a fault with which we can¬ 
not in justice charge the present generation. 

TITLE.—An appellation of honor. Some¬ 
times hereditary, sometimes given for acts of 
valour, sometimes for ratting, and for various 
other good and bad reasons. 

“ How vain are all hereditary honors, 

Those poor possessions from another’s deeds 3 



142 


DICTIONARY FOR 


Unless our own just virtues form our title. 

And give a sanction to the fond assumption.” 

TONGUE.—A troublesome, impertinent 
little member, with many, unmanageable, 
-which frequently leads them into scrapes. 

" Be not thy tongue thy own shame’s orator.” 

Shakspeare. 


TOOL.—A hireling; a sort of respectable 
gentleman, of great use to great people. 

TRAVELLERS. — All descriptions of 
persons are now become travellers ; and de¬ 
serve credit for the attention they pay to the 
advice given by Shakspeare. 

** Farewel, monsieur traveller; look you lisp, 

And wear strange suits, and disable 
All the benefits of your own country! ” 

TREASURY.—A snug situation, which 
few like to quit, when they have once tasted 
the sweets there to be enjoyed. 

TRIFLE. — “ Nugis addere pondus.” 
There are some whose lives are made up of 
trifles; every common occurrence is a wonder; 


THE FASHIONABLE WORLD. 143 

every trifling event, fortuuate or unfortunate, a 
miracle! 

TROUBLE.—A thing most people dislike 
to take, but are fond of giving. The best 
maxim is, never to ask a person to do a thing 
for you, which you can do yourself. 

TRUTH. — A very old-fashioned thing 
scarcely now to be met with. Antoine Perez 
says, that in former times kings kept fools 
about their persons :— 

“ A fool oft speaks a seasonable truth.” 

Of late years kings have only been surrounded 
by wise men. 

TYRANNY.— 

“ Tyrants and devils, think all pleasure vain. 

But what are still derived from other’s pain.” 


u. 

UGLY.—This is a word never to be em¬ 
ployed when speaking of a lady; but we may 




144 


DICTIONARY FOR 


give it to be understood by a happy and deli¬ 
cate circumlocution, such as, she has an ex¬ 
cellent character , is an extremely good sort of 
woman , or still better, she has a physiognomy 
without pretension. 

UNDERSTANDING.—It is a common, 
but very mistaken idea, that idiots alone are 
without understanding; if we examine closely, 
we shall find many who appear in the world 
with eclat , totally devoid of the intellectual 
powers which denote understanding, who have 
not even sufficient judgment or knowledge to 
understand the meaning of the word. 

“-Life and sense. 

Fancy and understanding, whence the soul 

Reason receives, and reason is her being.” Milton. 

UNFORTUNATE. — The unfortunate 
man is avoided by the world, lest misfortune 
should prove contagious . 

UPSTART.—A sort of mushroom gentry, 
who flourish luxuriantly in England in the pre¬ 
sent day: before the union , we suppose Ire¬ 
land to have been the country most overrun by 


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145 


this fungus, as, according to Bacon, “ The king 
did not neglect Ireland, the soil where these 
mushrooms and upstart weeds, that spring up 
in a night, did chiefly prosper.” 

USURPER.— 

“ A sceptre snatch’d with an unruly hand. 

Must be as boisterously maintain’d as gain’d; 

And he that stands upon a slippery place, 

Makes nice of no vile hold to stay him up.” 

SHAKSP£AR». 


V. 

VANITY.— A passion which demands 
every thing , and grants nothing. 

VAPOURS.—A disease of the imagina¬ 
tion, which will make the fortune of a medical 
man if he knows what he is about: a common 
appendage to a vain woman, as a means of.in¬ 
spiring additional interest. The French say it 
was invented for that purpose in 1740. 

VARIETY.—A favorite idol in this age of 

H 




146 


DICTIONARY FOR 


frivolity, the worship of which we sober Eng¬ 
lish have learnt, amongst other rational pur¬ 
suits, of our amiable neighbours the French. 

VENGEANCE.—A savage feeling, which 
the law has never been able to eradicate from 
the human heart. 

VICE.—The opposite to virtue. The man 
who encourages one bad inclination will soon 
become vicious : there is an old saying, “ He 
that carries a small crime easily, will carry it 
on till it grows a great oneand, again, from 
Pope we learn— 

“ Vice is a monster of so frightful mien, 

As, to be hated, needs but to be seen; 

Yet seen too oft, familiar with her face. 

We first endure, then pity, then embrace.” 

VICISSITUDE.—Regular change, a re¬ 
turn of good and bad things in succession. 
This mutability in our worldly concerns, we 
should do well always to keep in mind; the 
reflection would prevent our being too much 
elated by the smiles of fortune, or too much 
cast down by her frowns.— 


THE FASHIONABLE WORLD. 147 

“ Things at the worst, will cease, or else climb upward, 
To what they were before.” 

Shakspeare. 

“ For over all men hangs a double fate: 

One gains by what another is bereft; 

The frugal destinies have only left 
A common bank of happiness below. 

Maintain’d like nature, by an ebb and flow.” How e. 

VILLAIN.—A wicked wretch. 

“ The original villain, sure no god created! 

He was a bastard of the Sun, by Nile ; 

Ap’d into man, with all his mother’s mud 
Crusted about his soul.” Dryden. 


VIRTUE—Can never be the less respected 
or venerated for being out of fashion . Virtue 
must always shine with such brightness that 
even the wicked bow before it. “ Virtue is 
like precious odours, fragrant by being crush¬ 
ed ; for prosperity best discovers vice, but ad¬ 
versity best discovers virtue. ,, 

VULGAR.—The vulgar, the common peo¬ 
ple. In all times, and in all countries, we find 
the mischievous and wicked most active to 
mislead the vulgar, whilst the upright and 
good are slow to act, and take but little pains 


148 


DICTIONARY FOR 


to shew things in their true and proper light; 
they should consider, 

“ Interdum vulgus rectum videt.” Hoe. 

And give them at least the opportunity of judg¬ 
ing right. 


w. 

WAIST. — A part of the body, whose 
length, breadth, shortness and smallness, is 
entirely regulated by fashion, which sometimes 
appears not to allow of any, 

WALTZ.—A German dance, which has 
been introduced into this country of late years, 
and we can now scarcely enter a ball-room 
without seeing all the young ladies whirling 
round in the arms of their partners, and some¬ 
times with a velocity which perfectly bew ilders 
us, even to look at. 

“ Look round, and say, if any man of sense, 

Will dare to single out a wife from hence?” 




THE FASHIONABLE WORLD. 149 

To WANT.—All know what this is; for 
even those who to all appearance have every 
good this world can bestow, have something 
left to want , which they fancy as necessary as 
bread to the poor starving wretch who is suf¬ 
fering under 

“ Want, worldly want, that hungry, meagre fiend.” 


WEAKNESS.—We accuse of weakness, 
“ Celui dont la folie ne s’accorde pas avec 
celle du plus grand nombre.” 

WHIM. — A disorder of the spirits by 
which all the world are at times attacked, and 
for which there is no cure. 

WISDOM.— 

“ Full oft we see cold wisdom waiting on superfluous 

folly.” Shakspeare. 


WISH.— 


With how much ease believe we what we wish.” 


WOE.—Excess of grief. 

“ By those, that deepest feel, is ill exprest. 
The indistinctness of the suffering breast; 


150 


DICTIONARY FOR 


Where thousand thoughts begin to end in one 
Which seeks from all, the refuge found in none; 

No words suffice the secret soul to shew, 

And truth denies all eloquence to woe.” 

WOMAN.— 

“ Woman, they say, was only made of man : 

Methinks ’tis strange they should be so unlike! 

It may be, all the best was cut away. 

To make woman, and the naught was left 
Behind with him.” 

Beaumont. 

Query.—Would an author of the present 
day set quite so just a value upon the sex ? 

WONDERFUL. — Astonishing, strange, 
surprising. We now hear daily of such extra- 
ordinary things, and see such strange, unnatural 
figures, that nothing appears wonderful , nor 
ought any thing to create astonishment or sur¬ 
prise. 































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